GOV. LOMBARDO WANTS TO USE COVID CASH FOR SCHOOL VOUCHERS

July 30, 2023

The government printed so much COVID cash that Nevada is still flush with it. Nevada Dems cut off all ESA (school vouchers) last session, which threatens to throw hundreds of kids out of private schools this fall. Like the kids attending Mountain View Christian School, of which over 78% are minorities. But with an annual tuition of $8,000, many of the kids could never afford to attend Mountain View Christian School without the vouchers provided by the State of Nevada under the ESA program. Only some 1,400 ESA vouchers were available annually under last year’s funding levels out of the 300,000 plus kids in Clark County. Now their future is in doubt.

With his approval rating up to 58% in a recent poll, Governor Lombardo is going all out to get the funding he promised by trying to use extra COVID Cash to fund ESA kids.

This week, the Governor’s Finance Office submitted a 15-day, expeditious work program to the Legislature’s Interim Finance Committee to approve or reject, which would allow children on Opportunity Scholarships to remain in their schools by utilizing unallocated COVID relief funds to provide scholarship funding that Legislative Democrats refused to provide during the session.

Gov. Lombardo issued a forceful statement.

“I have been fighting for these children since I took office. The Democrats in the Legislature refused to fund these scholarships, and the result is that unless we take action now, these children will be forced out of their schools for the upcoming school year. It’s unacceptable to me to let that happen.”

Under the State Budget Act, when the Governor requests the submission of the 15-day, expedited work program, the Interim Finance Committee has 15 days to take action or it is deemed approved.

Amy Stephenson, the Director of the Governor’s Finance Office, said in her statement:

“Utilizing these funds in this way is fully compliant with the final federal rules and is consistent with how these funds were allocated under the prior administration.”

But will the Dems continue to hold the line and kill off any chance to fund school vouchers? And if so, what’s the Governor’s next move?