LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Top Nevada Democrats think there could be accounting issues within the state's Opportunity Scholarship program.
At a news conference on Wednesday, a group of Democrats, which included Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager and Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro, indicated they want to take a closer look at how the program operates.
"There seems to be money there versus what was taken in and what was given out in terms of scholarships that just isn't accounted for," Cannizzaro said while addressing reporters.
The Opportunity Scholarship program exists to help raise funds for kids from low-income families to attend private, often religion-based, schools as an alternative to a public school education.
It works by allowing certain non-profit organizations to sell tax credits in exchange for donations to the program. However, available funds are capped and that number is significantly lower this year than last year. There was over $11 million available in the program last year but that was cut in half for this school year, mostly due to expiring allocations that weren't replaced.
That means that hundreds of students in the Las Vegas Valley have been uncertain about where they might go to school this year.
Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, a Republican, wanted to increase funding for the voucher program but his proposals were rebuked by Democrats, who control the state assembly and the state senate.
Lombardo wants to use federal COVID-19 relief funds, over $3 million, to help bridge this year's gap for the program.
That possible action will go before the state's Interim Finance Committee for review next week.
Lombardo is expected to speak more about the issue Friday at an event at St. Anne Catholic School in Las Vegas.
