EDITORIAL: Lombardo expands school choice in Nevada

Thanks to Gov. Joe Lombardo and President Donald Trump, Nevada parents will soon have new educational options.

Last month, Gov. Lombardo opted Nevada into the Federal Tax Credit Scholarship Program. That new school choice initiative was created by President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, passed last summer by Congress. It allows taxpayers to receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit, up to $1,700 annually, for donations to scholarship granting organizations.

With those funds, the organizations will offer scholarships to K-12 students. Parents can use the funds to pay for things such as tuition, transportation, special education services and other educational expenses. Scholarship eligibility is limited by family income. Even public and charter school students are eligible.

This program won’t begin until 2027. Scholarship granting organizations and other groups will need to educate potential donors about this program, too. Even when a donor receives a dollar-for-dollar tax credit, it’s much more difficult to get 10,000 people to donate $1,700 than to get 10 donors to donate $1.7 million each.

Structurally, this program is similar to Opportunity Scholarships in Nevada. Despite — or because of — its success, Nevada Democrats have strongly opposed Gov. Lombardo’s efforts to expand the program.

Fortunately, Democrats in Carson City didn’t have a say in this federal initiative. The law requires governors to opt their states in. More than 20 have already done so. That includes Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat. More seem likely to opt in going forward. If a state doesn’t opt in, its residents can still donate, but their donations will be used by students in other states.

It will be interesting to see what California Gov. Gavin Newsom, an all-but-announced 2028 presidential candidate, decides. School choice is popular with parents, but not with teacher unions.

Hints of begrudging Democratic acceptance are a reminder that school choice doesn’t have to be a partisan issue. Every child is unique, and parents know their child’s strengths and weaknesses better than anyone. Many parents are actively considering their options.

A recent survey from the National School Choice Week Awareness Foundation found that 75 percent of parents with school-age kids thought about or looked for different schools in 2025. That suggests more than 45 million parents already consider school choice a part of their lives. The numerous events connected with National School Choice Week, which occurred during the last week of January, also show its broad appeal.

By opting in to the Federal Tax Credit Scholarship Program, Gov. Lombardo has led on school choice. Democrats should work with him to further expand the options available to Nevada parents.