LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Letting you redirect your tax dollars when it comes to your child's education.
Will school vouchers be on the November ballot for voters to decide? The state's highest court is deciding if you can decide in November.
Ensuring a well-educated workforce in Nevada. Two camps sharing the same goal but with starkly different views on how to achieve it. One side believes school vouchers can help.
"I think every family should have the freedom to be able to direct each of their children's education based on their individual needs."
Erin Phillips, chairwoman for the Education Freedom for Nevada PAC wants to give parents the public funds to attend a private school. She believes Nevada’s public education system, which is consistently ranked among the lowest in the country has failed many students.
"We can do something different, and we can have something that has proven results in other states that will actually educate our children,” she said.
The PAC is asking the Nevada Supreme Court to allow them to continue gathering signatures to get a school vouchers ballot measure before the voters this November. Proponents say the vouchers would be equal to 90% of per pupil funding in the state or about $7000 in the upcoming school year. Opponents of the measure say this isn't a wise investment.
"We are talking about a 300 million dollar a year hit, so you can only imagine what that's going to do to our per pupil funding in our traditional public schools and charter schools."
Amanda Morgan with Educate Nevada Now believes the voucher program will make inequality worse among all students with private schools not facing the same regulatory scrutiny as public schools. Morgan says they may not help students from economically disadvantaged families.
"When they end up in these voucher programs, they typically do the same or worse in the private school setting, especially in subjects like math,” she said.
The Nevada Supreme Court is expected to make a decision as soon as Thursday. If the court rules in favor for the PAC they have until June 29th to get the required signatures to make the ballot.
