The facts about Nevada and education spending

The Nov. 11 Review-Journal story “Clark County joins Nevada school districts in push for funding” misled readers by reporting that the amount Nevada spends on education has “remained fairly flat” since 1967. Instead, the paper’s own reporting shows a 66 percent increase in state spending over that same period, after adjusting for inflation and enrollment growth.

But even that number is too low. Nevada spends hundreds of millions more on education from local sources, which are excluded from that figure. When complete data are used, Nevada’s education spending has nearly doubled since 1967.

Because of the dismal performance of public schools over this period, many assume a lack of funding must be the culprit. Unfortunately, accurate data show that Nevada’s education woes occurred despite a dramatic increase in funding. This is one reason why so many support reforms such as school choice, which empowers parents to choose the best school for their child’s needs.