Editor’s note: Este artículo está traducido al español.

A Democrat-backed education proposal that maintains educator pay raises and tightens hiring processes for key school administrators will have its initial hearing Monday at the Nevada Legislature.

The wide-ranging Senate Bill 460, or the Education through Accountability, Transparency and Efficiency Act, is a 104-page piece of legislation sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro, D-Las Vegas. The comprehensive measure also opens the possibility of school board takeovers and gives school districts the ability to object to charter school placements.

It requests $317 million in appropriations for its various proposals, with $250 million of that being to extend the raises lawmakers first passed in 2023.

“I believe wholeheartedly in the promise of public education, and that’s why I’m excited to introduce this bill. These reforms can improve outcomes for students, help us hire and retain great teachers and staff, and give parents more confidence in our educational system,” Cannizzaro said in a statement accompanying the bill filing last month. “We all agree that our kids deserve the best possible educational opportunities. That means investing in classrooms while ensuring publicly funded schools are more transparent and accountable to deliver for students, parents and our community.”

The bill is heavy on school governance accountability and attracting and retaining staff.

On accountability, SB 460 introduces the concept of a School District Oversight Board, chaired by the governor, which can take over for a local school board if the board fails to follow “any state law.” The oversight board can exert power for up to 90 days at a time if the local board also does not provide a satisfactory corrective plan to the state.

SB 460 requires the state Board of Education to prepare a plan to improve achievement in English language arts, math and science in elementary schools. Administrators who don’t reach goals for three consecutive years may receive school district support, and the school board will assess the principals’ performance — and potentially remove the principal or require them to reapply for their job.

On charter oversight, a provision of SB 460 allows school boards to object to the formation of a proposed charter school within its boundaries if the board determines that the charter’s academic, financial or organizational plans “do not meet the needs of the community.”

The State Public Charter School Authority would rule on the objections. Additionally, the bill adds school district representation to the authority — a school board member, a superintendent and a financial administrator.

And on private school oversight, the bill proposes requiring preschools with students who receive state-funded Opportunity Scholarships to complete demographic and enrollment reports on scholarship recipients, and ensure that recipients take the standardized exams given to public school students and report the results to the state.

The bill also gives the Clark County School District board members appointed by municipal governments voting powers. Giving appointees the vote is being considered in a separate bill as well.

On staffing, the bill notably allocates $250 million to school districts to extend the teacher and support staff pay raises, matched with district funds and separately affirmed by lawmakers, as legislators granted in 2023.

For CCSD specifically, the bill requires the district and its teacher and administrator unions to negotiate a salary incentive program for teachers and principals who complete professional development or continuing education.

And on high-level hiring, SB 460 lays out minimum education and experience requirements for superintendent and chief financial officer applicants. Superintendent and CFO candidates for districts in the largest counties would need to be approved by the Nevada Department of Education before being hired. The Nevada Department of Education would also be able to fire superintendents, and appoint an interim leader, if at least 30% of their district’s schools are not demonstrating academic growth.

Cannizzaro and Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo have dueling omnibus bills before the 2025 Legislature to reform Nevada’s K-12 education system. Lombardo’s Assembly Bill 584, which was introduced Wednesday, contains items in common with Cannizzaro’s bill such as school board and principal accountability. The governor’s bill, however, is friendlier to charter schools and other school choice options. No hearing has been scheduled yet for AB 584.

Lombardo has indicated that charter schools were his line in the sand. When the Democrat-majority appropriations committees voted this month for a state education budget that only set aside money for the proposed educator raises to employees of school districts, Lombardo said he would reject the budget if it came to him without consideration for charter educators. Charter schools are also public schools, with state oversight and funding but more flexibility and independence than traditional school districts.

“I’ve been clear and consistent on this. I will not sign an education budget that does not include equal pay for public charter school teachers and make teacher pay raises, including those for charter school teachers, permanent,” he responded in a statement. “Further, I will veto any education budget bill that falls short of addressing a serious need for accountability, transparency and real parental choice. All 63 legislators have been aware of my position for months, and it is my expectation that they will pass a bill that improves education for all Nevada children.”

The message is apparently coming through — although it hasn’t been confirmed with any votes, a separate bill on pay for teachers in “hard-to-fill” positions from Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager, D-Las Vegas, now includes an amendment to set aside nearly $20 million for charter staff raises.

The Senate Education Committee is scheduled to discuss SB 460 in a hearing set for 1 p.m. Monday.