Nevada Passes Key Education Policy Improvements 

“Nevada leaders have taken a significant step forward to strengthen the foundations of learning and increase educational opportunity. With these new laws, state leaders are delivering student-centered policies that prioritize literacy, empower parents with more public school options and modernize teacher training. 

“By aligning teacher preparation programs and professional development to the science of reading, Nevada can ensure that all young students gain the critical skills needed to learn to read and then read to learn. In addition, creating a teacher apprenticeship program brings valuable real-world expertise into classrooms, expanding and deepening the educator pipeline. Last, adopting open enrollment policy removes artificial and unnecessary barriers, allowing students to attend any public school outside their zone of attendance and access the educational environment that best meets their needs.  

“We commend Gov. Joe Lombardo, Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro, Senate Education Chair Angela Taylor and Assembly Education Chair Selena Torres-Fossett for their dedication to Nevada’s students and families. Their leadership is ensuring that Nevada is better positioned to empower teachers, expand opportunities and strengthen the foundation for academic success.” 

About the Legislation 

SB 460 includes provisions that: 

• Require all public K-3 teachers to complete a course in foundational literacy skills aligned to the science of reading. 

• Align educator preparation programs with the science of reading to improve teacher training statewide. 

• Create the Nevada Teacher Apprenticeship Program, providing grant funding to support sponsors of approved teacher apprenticeships. Funding must be used on services to recruit, prepare and retain apprentices such as professional development, mentorship and induction programs. 

• Require that a charter school operations expert and two parents serve on the Charter Authority. 

• Allow cities or counties in a low-performing school district to sponsor or expand a charter school beyond the usual 7% enrollment cap—up to 15% per school—if the charter serves students zoned in a district or school labeled: low-performing, persistently underperforming or overcrowded. 

AB 533 creates an open enrollment policy that allows students to attend a school that is outside of their zone of attendance as long as schools are not at capacity. 

Gov. Lombardo signed both bills into law.