SB500 sets Nevada’s K-12 education budget for the 25-27 biennium, determining per-pupil funding levels and distributing billions in state and local education dollars. The bill appropriates more than $1.3 billion from the State General Fund for each fiscal year and authorizes additional spending from the State Education Fund. It establishes statewide base per-pupil amounts ($9,416 in FY 2026 and $9,486 in FY 2027), adds weighted funding for English learners, at-risk pupils, and gifted students, and allocates money for food services, transportation, special education, teacher-salary increases, adult-education programs, and career and technical education. SB500 also funds teacher-training scholarships, professional-development programs, and pathways-to-teaching stipends, while authorizing transfers from the Education Stabilization Account to support the state’s pupil-centered funding plan. Overall, the bill ensures Nevada’s public-school system is fully financed for the 2025-27 biennium.
The Nevada State Senate passed SB500 on May 21, 2025 by a vote of 13 to 8. We have assigned pluses to the nays because this bill accepts and expands state control over K-12 education by committing billions of taxpayer dollars to a centralized, government-run system. By increasing per-pupil funding, layering on weighted subsidies, and financing a wide array of programs and mandates, the bill deepens the state’s role in education at the expense of parental authority and educational independence. Education is properly the responsibility of families, not government, and continued public financing through general and property taxes crowds out private schools and homeschooling while perpetuating a costly monopoly. We urge parents to exit the government-school system altogether and seek truly independent alternatives such as homeschooling or private institutions, including FreedomProject Academy, that reject government funding and oversight, and embrace parental rights.
