A monetary history of Nevada public education

Patrick Gibbons

According to Emily Richmond of the Las Vegas Sun, “History suggests that Nevada’s public schools may never recover from the budget cuts being required of them by legislators after this weekend.”

This is certainly the opinion of the school superintendents, some legislators and some special-interest groups. But it isn’t true at all.

Not only has public education recovered financially from budget cuts, its revenues and spending have outpaced population growth and inflation combined! Take a look for yourself:

*Per-pupil spending, adjusted for inflation. 1959-2007

*Per-pupil spending, adjusted for inflation. 1997-2007

*Total K-12 education operating budget from all districts, in millions of dollars. Adjusted for inflation. 2001-2011. Note: the FY 10 and FY 11 budgets will be reduced by 6.9 percent, potentially leaving K-12 education with more money than in the last biennium.

*General Fund appropriations in millions of dollars. Adjusted for inflation. 2001-2011. Does not include the 6.9 percent reduction for the 2009-11 biennium.

*Basic support per pupil. Adjusted for inflation. 2001-2011. Does not include the 6.9 percent reduction for the 2009-11 biennium.

Don’t take our word for it. Go directly to the source.

*Legislative Counsel Bureau

*National Center for Education Statistics at the U.S. Department of Education