2019 Legislative session highlights and successes

The Clark County School District (CCSD) Board of School Trustees approved a legislative platform in November aimed at providing rich and rigorous instruction, improving teaching and learning conditions, and ensuring efficient operations and finance.

Governor Sisolak and legislative leaders supported many of our legislative priorities with the ambitious goals outlined in the Focus: 2024 strategic plan, including:

• Assembly Bill 309
• • Provides county commissioners the opportunity to raise local revenue for education.
  • Aligns with Priority 4 (Sound Fiscal Management) of the Focus: 2024 plan.

• Senate Bill 89, Senate Bill 551 and Senate Bill 528
• • Secures funding to ensure a safe learning environment, including Comprehensive School Safety Evaluations and facility upgrades.
  • Provides funding to increase social workers and school police officers.
  • Aligns with Priority 1 (Student Success) of the Focus: 2024 plan.

• Senate Bill 80
• • Passage of CCSD’s “Handle with Care” initiative to address student trauma, which has an effect on academic achievement.
  • When law enforcement encounters a student at the scene of a traumatic event, they will notify the Nevada Department of Public Safety and the appropriate school district through SafeVoice, so the school can check in on the student or be aware that the student is dealing with trauma.
  • Aligns with Priority 1 (Student Success) of the Focus: 2024 plan.

• Assembly Bill 289
• • Modifications to build on the intention of Nevada’s Read by Grade 3 program, including removing the automatic retention of any third-grade student who is not proficient, and providing all elementary students additional literacy resources.
  • The Legislature also added revenue for additional learning strategists in elementary schools.
  • Aligns with Priority 1 (Student Success) of the Focus: 2024 plan.

• Senate Bill 555 and Senate Bill 84
• • Secures additional state funding to save pre-K seats after the loss of a federal grant.
  • SB 555 includes school counselors and psychologists in eligibility for a 5 % raise for national board certification.
  • SB555 expands SB178 funding for at-risk students to include 4-Star schools.
  • Aligns with Priority 1 (Student Success) of the Focus: 2024 plan.

• Senate Bill 185
• • Modification of the fingerprinting law so that volunteers only have to be fingerprinted if they are “unsupervised” with students (no longer if they volunteer four or more times a month).
  • Also, some volunteers who are fingerprinted as part of their job can receive a waiver from fingerprinting again, such as police officers.
  • Aligns with Priority 5 (Parent and Community Support) of the Focus: 2024 plan.

• Senate Bill 501 and State grants
• • Increased separate and sustainable revenue streams to support Vegas PBS’ educational services.
    • Distance Education Services
    • Outdoor Nevada Programming
  • Aligns with Priority 5 (Parent and Community Support) of the Focus: 2024 plan

• Assembly Bill 78 and Senate Bill 321
• • Removed the Achievement School District from the Nevada Revised Statutes so there is no longer a concern that CCSD public schools could be taken over by charter operators.
  • Aligns with Priority 2 (Teachers, Principals and Staff) of the Focus: 2024 plan

• Senate Bill 543
• • Creates a modernized funding formula, including recognition that the cost to prepare students for college or a career are not uniform, and the state’s education funding formula should be student-centered.
  • Section 58 allows school districts to have a budgeted ending fund balance of up to 16.6%.
  • Aligns with Priority 5 (Parent and Community Support) of the Focus: 2024 plan