State’s school funding criticized

By Emily Richmond

Thursday, Jan. 8, 2004 | 11:08 a.m.

Nevada's public school funding had the lowest overall increase in the nation between 1999 and 2001, earning the Silver State low marks from an education newspaper Wednesday.

The 2004 Quality Counts survey, by the publication Education Week, gave Nevada a D+ grade overall for adequacy of resources, a dip from the C- grade earned last year. Nevada also earned a C- for improving teacher quality, a B in equity of resources and a B- in standards and accountability -- the same grades received in the 2003 study. Nevada's grade for overall school climate was a C-, an improvement over the D+ grade last year.

Keith Rheault, deputy superintendent of instruction for the Nevada Education Department, said he expected next year's grades to improve across the board. The 4 percent increase in education funding approved by the Legislature during the last session was not included in this year's report, Rheault said.

Additionally, changes to the state's teacher licensing process should also earn Nevada better marks with the researchers, Rheault said.

"They've always hit us pretty hard for allowing teachers with K-8 licenses to teach at middle schools," Rheault said. "Our new middle school license is in the works."