Governor Lombardo set to sign historic education bill

Education bill puts accountability first

By Brittany Sheehan  

Nevada News and Views

Governor Joe Lombardo will sign a major education bill Monday morning at Mountain View Elementary School. This isn’t just another government ceremony. It’s a real victory for families who want better schools and more choices for their kids.

The upcoming signing ceremony, called SB460, puts teeth into education reform. For too long, failing schools have gotten away with poor results while parents felt trapped. Not anymore.

What This Means for Your Family

The biggest change? Schools that don’t perform will face real consequences.

Under SB460 school and district performance will be tracked and if they are not meeting requirements, can be placed on probation by the state. The areas that will determine if they’re underperforming are things like graduation rates and high school attendance.

If schools don’t improve after two years, the state can step in. They can remove principals. They can change staff. They can even take over a failing school district. That’s accountability that actually works.

Parents also get more power to choose where their kids go to school. The new law makes it easier for students to attend schools outside their assigned zone. Even better, the state will help pay for transportation so kids from low-performing schools can get to better ones.

Following the Money

This victory didn’t come cheap or easy. Lombardo highlighted the state’s significant investment in K-12 education, stating: “After delivering the largest investment in K-12 education in Nevada’s history, we owe it to our communities to match that investment with real results and real accountability.”

The numbers are staggering. In his State of the State address on January 23, Lombardo proposed a two-year $11 billion budget that would be the largest general fund budget in Nevada history and pledged $2 billion per biennium for K-12 education—an increase of more than 22 percent from the previous biennium.

But Lombardo didn’t just throw money at the problem.

He demanded results: “We can no longer accept lack of funding as an excuse for chronic underperformance.”

The Political Battle Behind the Scenes

Getting this bill to today’s signing wasn’t simple. Nevada has a Republican governor but Democrats control the legislature. That meant lots of fights and compromises.

Democrats pushed for universal free school meals and more money for traditional public schools. Republicans focused on school choice and accountability measures.

The final bill merged ideas from both sides. Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro, D-Las Vegas, and Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo have merged their once-dueling education bills together to create something both could support.

Why Conservatives Should Celebrate

This bill delivers on core conservative principles. It emphasizes personal responsibility. Schools that fail their students face consequences. Parents get more choices. Taxpayer money follows results, not just good intentions.

The accountability measures are particularly strong. If there’s no improvement after two years, the state superintendent can change staffing.

John Vellardita, Clark County Education Association Executive Director, who helped write the bill, said: “Where a principal is removed, a school is put under more supervision, or educators and staff in there are scrutinized a little bit more.”

What Critics Are Saying

Not everyone loves the new law. Teacher unions worry about job security when schools face state intervention. Some Democrats wanted more money for traditional public schools without the accountability strings attached.

SB460 has support from the usual suspects, including teacher unions and Educate Nevada Now, which advocates for spending billions more on the public schools. But Nevada taxpayers should be skeptical. They’ve seen this movie over and over again while enduring the same depressing results.

Some conservative critics say the bill doesn’t go far enough. They wanted more robust school choice options like expanded opportunity scholarships that help families pay for private schools. Those provisions were dropped during negotiations.

What Happens Next

The new accountability system will start tracking schools this year. Districts will need to show real improvement in graduation rates, test scores, and attendance.

Parents will see more school choice options becoming available. Transportation help for students leaving failing schools should start soon.

The state will also focus more on early reading skills. To improve reading skills statewide, the bill would allocate $1 million annually so parents could access state-approved literacy services for their children. It also mandates the integration of the Science of Reading — a research-based approach to teach students how to read that emphasizes phonics and building up students’ vocabulary.

The Bottom Line

The signing ceremony represents real progress for Nevada families. It combines significant new funding with actual accountability. Parents get more choices while taxpayers get better results for their money.

When Lombardo originally introduced his education bill in April, he said: “This act represents a shift, a serious shift, on how we lead and deliver education in our state. For the first time in Nevada’s history, we are placing district-level accountability at the center of our education system.”

That’s exactly what conservative families have been asking for. More accountability. More choices. Better results. It took years of political fighting, but Nevada parents finally have a governor willing to demand excellence from their schools.

The real test comes next. Will these reforms actually improve student outcomes? Will failing schools step up or face the consequences? Nevada families deserve accountability in education.

*

Brittany Sheehan is a Las Vegas-based mother, policy advocate and grassroots leader. She is active in local politics, successful in campaign work and passionate about liberty.