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Nevada Education Savings Account Program Initiative (2024)
| Nevada Education Savings Account Program Initiative | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 5, 2024 | |
| Topic Charter schools and vouchers | |
| Status Not on the ballot | |
| Type State statute | Origin Citizens |
The Nevada Education Savings Account Program Initiative (#S-02-2022 ) was not on the ballot in Nevada as an indirect initiated state statute on November 5, 2024.
The initiative would have established an education savings account program for K-12 students to attend schools and educational programs other than public schools. The maximum available grant would have been 90% of the statewide base per-pupil funding amount. The sponsors of the initiative, Education Freedom PAC, also filed a constitutional amendment related to education savings accounts.[1][2]
Text of measure
Description of effect
The description of effect for the initiative was as follows:[1]
| “ |
The Petition establishes an education freedom account program under which parents will be authorized to establish an account for their child’s education. The parent of any child required to attend public school who has been enrolled in a public school in Nevada during the entirety of the immediately preceding school year or whose child is eligible to enroll in kindergarten may establish an account for the child. Money in the accounts may be used to pay certain educational expenses including, but not limited to, tuition and fees at participating entities. Participating entities may include eligible private schools, a program of distance education not operated by a public school and parents, among others. The maximum available grant is 90 percent of the statewide base per pupil funding amount. For Fiscal Year 2021-2022, that statewide base per pupil funding amount is $6,980 per pupil, and for Fiscal Year 2022-2023 it is $7,074 per pupil. That said, nothing in the initiative requires the Legislature to appropriate money to fund the accounts. If no money is appropriated, no funding will be available for the accounts. Funding the accounts, however, could necessitate a tax increase or reduction of government services.[3] |
” |
Full text
- The full text of the measure is available here.
Sponsors
Education Freedom PAC sponsored the initiative.[2]
Path to the ballot
The state process
In Nevada, the number of signatures required to qualify an indirect initiated state statute for the ballot is equal to 10 percent of the total votes cast in the most recent general election. Moreover, signature gathering must be distributed equally among each of the state's four congressional districts. The initial filing of an initiated state statute cannot be made before January 1 of the year preceding the next regular legislative session. Signature petitions must be filed with county officials by the second Tuesday in November of an even-numbered year—two years prior to the targeted election date. The final submission of signatures to the secretary of state must be made at least 30 days prior to the start of the next regular legislative session.
The requirements to get an initiated state statute certified for the 2024 ballot:
- Signatures: 140,777 valid signatures were required.
- Deadline: The deadline to submit signatures to county clerks was November 23, 2022.
Signatures are verified by county clerks using a random sampling method if more than 500 signatures were submitted in that county. If enough signatures are submitted and verified, the initiative goes before the legislature. If the legislature approves and the governor signs the measure, there is no election. Otherwise, the initiative goes on the next general election ballot.
Details about this initiative
- The initiative was filed by Education Freedom PAC on January 31, 2022.[2]
- The initiative was declared deficient by the Nevada Supreme Court.[2]
Lawsuits
| Lawsuit overview | |
| Issue: Whether the description of the effect of the measure on petitions is misleading | |
| Court: Carson City District Court | |
| Plaintiff(s): Rogers Foundation Chairwoman Beverly Rogers and Rogers Foundation CEO Rory Reid | Defendant(s): Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske |
Source: The Buffalo News
On February 22, 2022, Rogers Foundation Chairwoman Beverly Rogers and Rogers Foundation CEO Rory Reid filed a lawsuit against the initiative in Carson City District Court alleging that the description of the effect of the initiative was misleading because it did not describe the effect of the initiative on public school funding.[4]
Beverly Rogers said, “Let’s be clear, we are not talking about school choice, we’re talking about the school’s choice to reject students because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, religious affiliation ... or because they need additional resources to succeed. We support public schools because they serve all students.”[4]
Erin Phillips, co-founder and president of the advocacy organization Power2Parent and a leader of the Education Freedom PAC, said, "We are confident in the language and it is clear that Nevadans are ready for a fundamental change to our approach to education.”[4]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Nevada Secretary of State's Office, "Full text," accessed January 14, 2022
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Nevada Secretary of State's Office, "List of petitions," accessed January 14, 2022
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 The Buffalo News, "Lawsuit aims to block Nevada school voucher petition drive," February 24, 2022
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State of Nevada Carson City (capital) |
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