Nevada Question 3, Public School Financing Initiative (1956)

Nevada Question 3
Election date November 6, 1956
Topic Public education funding
Status Defeated
Type Indirect initiated state statute	Origin Citizens

Nevada Question 3 was on the ballot as an indirect initiated state statute in Nevada on November 6, 1956. It was defeated.

A "yes" vote supported creating county school funds, requiring state and county tax contributions to fund public schools, and establishing rules for distributing school funds.

A "no" vote opposed creating county school funds, requiring state and county tax contributions to fund public schools, and establishing rules for distributing school funds.

Election results

Nevada Question 3
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		34,843	47.72%
No		38,166	52.28%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Question 3 was as follows:

“

Shall—“An Act to provide for the support of the public schools in the State of Nevada; creating county school funds and providing for state and county contributions in connection therewith; providing for school district and county school taxes; fixing the duties of certain boards, commissions, and officers; and providing for the repeal of certain acts and parts of acts in conflict herewith.” The People of the State of Nevada do enact as follows: SECTION 1. There shall be created a County School Fund for the support of the public kindergarten, elementary, and high schools in each of the several counties of the State of Nevada which shall be in the custody of the County Treasurer of each of the several counties. SECTION 2. During the fiscal year beginning with the first day of July following the approval of this act by a majority of the electors voting thereon and the official declaration of the vote, or its enactment by the Legislature and approval by the Governor, and during each fiscal year thereafter, there shall be available to each County School Fund a sum of money in an amount which shall be computed on the basis of the following conditions: For each full time employee actually employed in the public schools in a county for the school year occurring within a fiscal year there shall be allowed not less than four thousand dollars ($4,000), providing the employee is required to hold a Nevada teaching certificate, and his employment is necessary to the satisfactory operation of a public school as determined by rules and regulations which shall be established by the State Board of Education. For each part-time employee actually employed in the public schools during the school year occurring within a fiscal year there shall be allowed not less than that portion of four thousand dollars ($4,000) which is in the same proportion to four thousand dollars ($4,000) as the time of employment is to the time of employment of a full time employee, providing the part-time employee is required to hold a Nevada teaching certificate, and his employment is necessary to the satisfactory operation of a public school as determined by rules and regulations which shall be established by the State Board of Education. For each public elementary and high school pupil in average daily attendance in the county during the school year within the fiscal year as calculated on the basis of the highest six months of average daily attendance, there shall be allowed not less than eighty dollars ($80). For each public kindergarten pupil in average daily attendance in the county during the school year within a fiscal year as calculated on the basis of the highest six months of average daily attendance, there shall be allowed not less than forty dollars ($40). There shall be allowed one-half the cost of public school pupil transportation in the county during the preceding fiscal year, providing that this amount shall not exceed one-half the necessary cost of transportation as determined by the State Board of Education under the rules and regulations which the State Board of Education shall establish for determining necessary transportation costs. During the first fiscal year after the enactment or approval of this act, the amount allowed a county school fund on the basis of transportation costs shall be based on the actual cost of public school pupil transportation in the county during the preceding calendar year. SECTION 3. For the purposes of this act, the County Commissioners of each of the several counties at the time of levying county taxes each year shall levy a tax of not less than seventy cents (70¢) on the one hundred dollars ($100) assessed valuation of the taxable property within the county, such tax to be known as a county school tax; and each Board of County Commissioners shall have the revenues derived from said tax deposited in the County School Fund of the county of its jurisdiction, providing that in any county where a seventy cent (70¢) tax will provide more than one-half of the minimum amount allowed the County School Fund by Section 2 of this Act, then the county school tax levy may be such that it will provide only one-half of the minimum amount allowed under Section 2 of this Act. During the first fiscal year after the passing of this act the amount deposited in the County School Fund of each county shall be the undisbursed portion of the county taxes for the operation and maintenance of schools currently in effect together with the revenue which is derived during the fiscal year from the county tax herein authorized and which shall be levied at the next regular time for levying county taxes. SECTION 4. The Legislature of the State of Nevada shall provide for State funds for the County School Fund created in this Act to supplement the revenues derived by County School Funds from county taxes, and the State school funds so provided shall be placed in the State Distributive School Fund. The amount of the annual contribution by the State to each County School Fund shall be the difference between the total minimum amount allowed a County School Fund by Section 2 of this Act and the amount which would be derived from a seventy cent (70¢) tax on the one hundred dollars ($100) assessed valuation of the taxable property within the county, providing that no County School Fund shall receive from the State during any fiscal year an amount less than one-half of the minimum amount provided for that county by Section 2 of this Act, and providing that in each of those counties where Federal funds are received to assist in the operation and maintenance of district schools because of Federal activities within such districts, there shall be subtracted from the State contribution to the County School Fund an amount equal to one-half the amount of Federal funds received by any local district which does not levy a district tax for operation and maintenance. SECTION 5. The State Superintendent of Public Instruction acting under rules and regulations which shall be established by the State Board of Education shall divide the annual state obligation to the several County School Funds into quarterly and approximately equal apportionments to each County School Fund and shall distribute said apportionments to the County School Fund at regular intervals, such times to be established by the State Board of Education. SECTION 6. The State Superintendent of Public Instruction shall distribute the County School Fund in each county to each of the school districts within the county according to a formula or formulae which shall be determined by the State Board of Education. Said formula or formulae shall allow for quarterly and approximately equal apportionments from the County School Funds to each of the District School Funds... SECTION 9. All acts and parts of acts inconsistent with provisions of this Act are hereby repealed insofar as such inconsistency exists. SECTION 10. This act shall be in full force and effect on the first day of July of the fiscal year beginning after its enactment by the Legislature and approval by the Governor, or from and after its approval by a majority of the electors voting thereon and the official declaration of the vote.—be approved?

”

Full Text

The full text of this measure is available here.

Path to the ballot

See also: Signature requirements for ballot measures in Nevada

An indirect initiated state statute is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends state statute. There are nine (9) states that allow citizens to initiate indirect state statutes.

While a direct initiative is placed on the ballot once supporters file the required number of valid signatures, an indirect initiative is first presented to the state legislature. Legislators have a certain number of days, depending on the state, to adopt the initiative into law. Should legislators take no action or reject the initiative, the initiative is put on the ballot for voters to decide.

In Nevada, the number of signatures required for an indirect initiated state statute is equal to 10% of the total number of votes cast in the preceding general election. Once sufficient signatures have been collected, statutory initiatives are first presented to the Nevada State Legislature. The legislature has 40 days to decide on the measure. If approved by the legislature and signed by the governor, the proposed statute becomes law. If not, the law is submitted to voters at the next general election. A simple majority vote is required for voter approval.

See also

1956 Measures

• 1956 Measures
• Public education funding on the ballot
• 1956 legislative sessions

Nevada

• Nevada ballot measures
• Nevada ballot measure laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls

External links

• Nevada Secretary of State: Political History of Nevada