CARSON CITY, Nev. – In an effort to help districts with the budget process for the 2018-19 school year, the Nevada Department of Education (NDE) today announced specifically how $36 million in Senate Bill 178 funding will be allocated.

SB 178 was passed by the 2017 Legislature to fund weights for students in poverty and English learners. This specifically added a new weight of $1,200 per pupil for students who receive free or reduced lunch or are English learners and fall into the bottom quartile of performance. It is specifically allocated to students who are not already supported by Zoom (EL) and Victory (poverty) programs.

“While SB 178 requires us to distribute these funds by July 15th, the department recognized how important it is to get this information out as early as possible so that districts can plan and budget accordingly,” said Steve Canavero, Ph.D., Superintendent of Public Instruction. “Another exciting development is that with our updated Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) statewide system for accountability data system, 56 new schools will be funded based upon the new data.”

As another indicator of Nevada becoming the fastest improving state in the nation, Canavero said that based on the department’s new data, 52 schools improved their performance to such a degree that they no longer qualify for SB 178 funding.

“This is proof that the additional funding for services these schools have received from the Governor’s sweeping education reforms is working,” Canavero said.

The purpose of SB 178 is to provide additional funding to Nevada school districts and charter schools to implement evidence-based intervention programs and services proven to increase the academic achievement of eligible students. NDE’s federally approved ESSA plan strategy calls for developing great school leaders; using data to inform decisions impacting our schools; and identifying and improving the lowest-performing schools.