Nevada Expands School Choice With Adoption of Savings Accounts

[RobJohnson]

Nevada’s governor signed a measure Tuesday offering education savings accounts that will allow most students to apply state funds to private schools or other services in the state, the latest move by states to expand alternatives to traditional public schooling.

Through the accounts, available to students who were enrolled in public school at least 100 consecutive days, state funding for students goes directly into special savings accounts for parents to pay for certain services. In the new law, any student can apply for an account, which can be used to pay for services like private school, transportation costs or tutoring.

While Arizona and Florida have similar systems in place for students with special needs, gifted students or others, Nevada’s law is the first to expand it to all students. The accounts differ from school-voucher programs available in other states by allowing parents to use the funds for different types of services to create a specialized program depending on the student, rather than sending the funds directly to a private school.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/nevada-expands-school-choice-with-adoption-of-savings-accounts-1433359352?mod=rss_US_News

The teachers union will not be happy! It's my understanding that the parents actually will receive the average annual cost per pupil that the state currently spends.

[thundley4]

This sounds like a good idea in theory and I hope it works in practice. 

Unfortunately, it might drive the costs of private school tuition up just like government loans drove up college costs.

[RobJohnson]

This sounds like a good idea in theory and I hope it works in practice. 

Unfortunately, it might drive the costs of private school tuition up just like government loans drove up college costs.

It might. I went to a private conservative Christian High School, they ran on a shoestring budget, my parents had to pay tuition on top of property tax for the public school that I did not attend (my tuition was about the same as what the school district received from the property tax)  and pay for transportation back and forth to the school until I was old enough to drive. It was a huge sacrifice. The teachers only received pay for the months they worked, and it was around min wage.

Now the school I went to, I doubt they would allow any govt money or voucher. They are too libertarian and insisted on separation of church and state, they did not want the state up in their business, other then the necessary requirements for a school, like running water and certified teachers.

I think it will keep the schools in check due to being opened up to the free market.  Most private schools (k to 12) educate children for a lot less money per student the states do.

I hope the gov't does not make a lot of stupid requirements for the private school and tutors that create extra layers of govt, but that is probably what will happen.

 

[obumazombie]

Conservative principles work all the time at least in the long run.
Prog ideas do not.
If this is based on a conservative principle it should not only work in theory, but practice as well.
The real problem will start if it does begin to work well.
Then it will be in the crosshairs of the progs to tear down.
Let's remember that student loans are a lib principle based on subsidies. Subsidies never work as promised or even as intended.

[diesel driver]

Conservative principles work all the time at least in the long run.
Prog ideas do not.
If this is based on a conservative principle it should not only work in theory, but practice as well.
The real problem will start if it does begin to work well.
Then it will be in the crosshairs of the progs to tear down.
Let's remember that student loans are a lib principle based on subsidies. Subsidies never work as promised or even as intended.

In other words, WHEN (not IF) it starts working and working well, the government will step in, and "fix" it until it won't work.  It's the government way, "If it ain't broke, fix it until it is!"  I can't think of a single thing the government set out to "fix" without it turning FUBAR.

[libertybele]

We sent our kids to a private Christian conservative school and had to pay public school taxes on top of the tuition; I wish we would have been offered some type of savings account. So I think Nevada has a wonderful idea here. It was an eye opener when we decided to send our kids to a private school and they were tested and found that they were way behind in comparison to the public schools; both of our kids were A students and one was actually in the public school's "gifted program". I found there to be no advantage other than affordability with the public school system until college as it is easier for kids to obtain a higher GPA to get into college via the public school system as opposed to a private school. 

My only question is who are these savings accounts going to?  Legal American citizens only; or ALL students??  Yep, I'm one of those nasty conservatives who feel that accommodating illegals in our educational system is why we are faced with the problems we have in our educational system.

[RobJohnson]

My school's test scores were higher and so was the "passing" grade. It was 11 points higher then the public schools. You needed an almost perfect test score to get an A.

[sargentodiaz]

As my granddaughter was just third in her graduating class, I've paid attention to this. To be honest, I thought there already was a fund when deposits could be made for college tuition.

This is the program I thought that already exists @ http://www.nsc.nevada.edu/1439.asp

So, I don't understand the need for this.

[thundley4]

As my granddaughter was just third in her graduating class, I've paid attention to this. To be honest, I thought there already was a fund when deposits could be made for college tuition.

This is the program I thought that already exists @ http://www.nsc.nevada.edu/1439.asp

So, I don't understand the need for this.

This is the government returning money to people to allow them to send their kids to their choice of schools.

[RobJohnson]

As my granddaughter was just third in her graduating class, I've paid attention to this. To be honest, I thought there already was a fund when deposits could be made for college tuition.

This is the program I thought that already exists @ http://www.nsc.nevada.edu/1439.asp

So, I don't understand the need for this.

This is for K to 12.

[RobJohnson]

The liberals are pissed.......

Tax money for Christian homeschoolers: A terrible new “school choice” law in Nevada will allow state funds to be used to pay for religious education, including Christian homeschooling. - See more at: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/progressivesecularhumanist/2015/06/nevadas-new-school-choice-law-will-fund-christian-homeschoolers/#sthash.h4SKr0gL.dpuf

A local Facebook page ran by two real life DU members.....(yes, they are members)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/NCVEC/1574694776124259/?notif_t=group_comment_reply