VICTOR JOECKS: You’ve been lied to: Money didn’t fix education

More money hasn’t improved Nevada education. It’s just made the dysfunction more expensive.

On Wednesday, the Democrats who run the Interim Finance Committee refused to approve money to fund raises for Clark County School District support staff. Democrats could have allocated $58 million for the pay hikes. Assemblywoman Daniele Monroe-Moreno, the committee chair, delayed the vote, claiming the district didn’t have a “complete plan.”

This stall tactic is in stark contrast to how Democrats once breathlessly hyped this money, which is part of a $250 million package statewide.

“We must do more, especially for our educators and education support professionals, because there is no greater investment we can make than in Nevada’s students,” Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager said in February.

The dispute has nothing to do with the support staff. Democrats are upset that district Superintendent Jesus Jara hasn’t capitulated to the Clark County Education Association in its contract dispute. Jara is also working to decertify the union for violating its pledge not to strike. Jara is correct on the law, but Democrats are worried about losing a major special interest group. Last month, both Yeager and Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro called for Jara to resign.

Step out of the weeds and consider the big picture.

That $250 million was far from the only extra money Gov. Joe Lombardo and legislators poured into education. They increased school funding by $2.6 billion, which was around a 25 percent increase. This year, the average per-pupil funding amount is more than $12,800. It’ll be more than $13,300 next school year.

This new spending was the subject of great fanfare. Lombardo called it “historic” and said it was “an education budget that empowers Nevada schools, teachers and students to succeed.” Cannizzaro said the education budget was “major progress toward finally modernizing our state’s investment in K-12 education.”

Look around — especially if you supported this spending increase. Where’s the evidence of historic achievement or even progress?

More money didn’t even solve the district’s teacher shortage. The district is looking for more than 1,350 teachers and other licensed personnel. As I showed in October, students in the worst schools are the least likely to have a full-time teacher. Most of those job openings are in schools serving low-income students in places such as North Las Vegas and the urban core. Most of their parents can’t afford tutors or private schools. Yet this new funding didn’t fix their most urgent need — a high-quality, full-time teacher.

There are solutions. The district has a problem with teacher retention, not recruitment. Jara needs to strengthen school discipline. He should roll back the dumbed-down grading policy he implemented. He should ban cellphones at schools. These steps will increase teacher retention and improve education. As seen around the country, the best plan is school choice.

Those changes all have something in common. They don’t require a dime.

Nevadans need to recognize what’s happening. If they don’t, the education blob will return to Carson City in 2025 insisting — again — that more money is needed to patch over its many failures.

Contact Victor Joecks at vjoecks@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4698. Follow @victorjoecks on X.