EDITORIAL: Assembly must join Senate, approve education savings accounts

Nevada, long derided as an educational wasteland, is on the verge of becoming a national leader in school choice.

Senate Bill 302, which was passed Wednesday by the Senate and Friday by the Assembly, would allow parents to take their children out of public school and control — through education savings accounts — most of the tax dollars that otherwise would have funded enrollment. Unlike the school voucher programs that exist in 21 states, which can be applied only toward private school tuition, education savings accounts can be used to pay for tuition, tutoring, technology or anything else that supports schooling tailored to a child’s talents and needs.

And unlike some voucher and state-run scholarship programs, education savings accounts are available to all Nevada families, not just the poor or those stuck in low-performing schools — although low-income families would get more money to spend on their children’s education. Under SB302, a family with a household income that is below 185 percent of the federal poverty level would receive funding equivalent to the state’s full, average per-student spending. Students with disabilities also would receive a full share of state funding. All other children would be eligible for 90 percent of average per-student spending.

The argument that education savings accounts would strip strapped school systems of funding simply is false. In fact, the opposite is true. The student’s account would receive only funds from the state’s Distributive School Account — schools would retain local and federal funds for that student, even though that student isn’t enrolled in public school. The more families who take advantage of education savings accounts, the higher the state’s per-student spending average rises for children who remain enrolled in public school.

Many parents crave school choice because they dislike the centralized control and bureaucracy of public schools. Private schools and charter schools generally have more local control. But parent control is the most local control a child can get in his or her education. And parents would control every dime in their child’s education savings account (within limits).

Education savings accounts are a great anti-crowding policy, as well. Parents who use ESAs to remove their children from public schools create an empty desk for a family who wishes to remain in the state school system. It’s not outrageous to think that ESAs might ultimately reduce the Clark County School District’s capital needs over the next decade and beyond.

Bravo to the Legislature for passing SB302. Now Gov. Brian Sandoval must sign it into law. The long waiting lists at public magnet schools and charter schools are evidence that Nevada families want more school choice. SB302 would give them more choice than they ever imagined possible.