The Stakes
#50
K-12 achievement ranking
23:1
Student-teacher ratio
320
Teacher vacancies (CCSD, 2025)
50%
4th graders not reading proficient
Nevada's education system is in crisis by almost any measure. The Clark County School Districtâthe 5th largest in the nationâoperates with chronic teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms, and some of the lowest test scores in the country. Everyone agrees it's a problem. No one agrees on the solution.
đ Deep Dive: For comprehensive data on student outcomes, funding gaps, equity issues, and workforce challenges, see our State of Education in Nevada 2025 visual report. (Source PDF)
Where They Stand
Aaron Ford
Democrat ⢠Attorney General
Position
Unique credential: Ford has a Ph.D. in Educational Administration and was a public school math teacher. He's suing the Trump administration to stop DOE dismantling. Pro-union, anti-voucher, and frames education as a civil rights issue. In June 2026, he said he would not repeal the 2028 third-grade reading retention rule outright, but is open to adjustments.[F49]The Nevada Independent, Ford On the Record
The Tension
Ford's education credentials are real, but he co-sponsored SB 555 (2017)âscholarship tax credits that fund private schools. This was a compromise with Republicans that angered some progressives. His current anti-voucher stance conflicts with that vote. Also: defending the status quo is hard when Nevada ranks 49th.
Key Actions
- ⢠DOE lawsuit: Suing Trump admin to protect federal education funding
- ⢠Won preliminary injunction stopping DOE dismantling
- ⢠Campaign emphasizes student loan servicer relief and protecting federal school support[F48]Ford for Nevada, Affordable Nevada issues page
- ⢠Co-sponsored SB 555 scholarship tax credits (2017)
- ⢠Strong teachers' union endorsements expected
Danielle Ford
No Political Party ⢠State Board of Education ⢠Former CCSD Trustee
Position
Direct school governance credential: Four years as a Clark County School District trustee and sitting elected member of the Nevada State Board of Education. Frames schools as community hubs absorbing failures from housing, healthcare, and nutrition systems. Opposes mandatory Grade 3 retention, pointing to AB 289's reforms that prioritize early screening and reading specialists over holding children back.[DF33]Media Issue Brief Pledges to "fund the students we have, not the system we wish we had" by weighting special education and English learner funding, and champions school support staff (paraprofessionals, nurses, bus drivers, custodians) alongside teachers. Opposes public funding transfers to for-profit education management organizations (EMOs).
The Tension
Endorsed by the state teachers union (NSEA) in 2022 and 2024, but clashed bitterly with the Clark County Education Association (CCEA), which opposed her. Voted against a 2022 salary package raising starting teacher pay because it suspended a sick-leave buyout for veteran educators.[DF17]The Nevada Independent Led the controversial 2021 termination of Superintendent Jesus Jara "for convenience," exposing the district to a $320,000 buyout before the board reversed it.[DF10]The Nevada Independent Platform embraces "real family choices" but her podcast and public record are staunchly anti-privatization.
Key Actions & Governance Record
- ⢠State Board of Education (2025âpresent): Elected District 3 member; criticizes consolidation of board power in governor's office[DF3]The Nevada Independent
- ⢠CCSD Trustee (2019â2023): Consistent critic of district vendor contracts, no-bid consulting, and administrative overhead
- ⢠Literacy & AB 289: Opposes punitive 3rd-grade retention; backs reading specialists and special ed screening[DF33]Media Issue Brief
- ⢠Anti-Privatization: Opposes vouchers and for-profit charter management companies
- ⢠Host of "Unraveling Education" podcast analyzing school district governance[DF19]Las Vegas Review-Journal
Alexis Hill
Democrat ⢠Washoe County Chair
Position
Hill ties education directly to her margin tax proposalânew business taxes would fund schools. This is the most structurally aggressive position on education funding. Supported (failed) library tax in Washoe County. Pro-public school, anti-voucher.
The Tension
Hill's margin tax is framed as an education solution, but the 2014 Education Initiative (similar margin tax) was rejected 79-21%. Voters said no to this approach. The Washoe County library tax she supported also failed. Is she misreading the electorate, or making a principled stand voters will eventually accept?
Key Actions
- ⢠Margin tax proposal: Would fund education through business tax
- ⢠Supported Library Tax (failed at ballot)
- ⢠County-level: limited direct education authority
- ⢠Standard pro-public school positions
The Funding Debate
"It's a Funding Problem"
Nevada ranks near the bottom in per-pupil spending. Advocates argue you can't expect good outcomes with inadequate investment.
- ⢠Nevada: ~$13,000 per pupil
- ⢠Recommended (adequacy): ~$17,000 per pupil
- ⢠New York: ~$30,000 per pupil
Who believes this: Ford, teachers' unions, most Democrats
"It's a Choice Problem"
School choice advocates argue the problem isn't moneyâit's a monopoly. Parents need alternatives to failing schools.
- ⢠DC spends $22K/pupilâstill struggles
- ⢠Competition improves performance
- ⢠Parents know best, not bureaucrats
Who believes this: Lombardo, school choice organizations, most Republicans
The reality: Both sides oversimplify. Funding matters, but so does how it's spent. Choice can help some families, but doesn't scale. Nevada's problems are structural: rapid population growth, teacher housing costs, and a tax base that doesn't support robust public services.
The Teacher Crisis
Recent 15â20% salary increases have dramatically reduced teacher vacancies in Clark Countyâfrom ~1,500 in 2022 to just 320 in 2025. But challenges remain in special education, rural areas, and retaining teachers amid high housing costs.
Ford's Approach
- ⢠Former teacherâunique perspective
- ⢠Pro-union, supports collective bargaining
- ⢠Increase teacher pay substantially
- ⢠Focus on working conditions
Hill's Approach
- ⢠Margin tax would fund pay increases
- ⢠County-level: limited direct authority
- ⢠Pro-union positions
- ⢠Structural funding solution
Evidence Scorecard
| Claim | Evidence | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Lombardo "increased education funding" | Trueâsigned record budget. But legislature controlled the numbers. | Partly True |
| Ford is "education expert" | PhD + teaching experience is real. But he co-sponsored school choice bill in 2017. | Mostly True |
| Vouchers "fix" education | Mixed evidence nationally. Helps some students; doesn't scale to address systemic issues. | Debatable |
| Margin tax would "fund schools" | It would raise revenue. But voters rejected this approach 79-21% in 2014. | Uncertain |