Nevada Assembly Speaker Plans Charter School Teacher Pay Raises

Nevada Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager is introducing Assembly Bill 398, which includes an amendment to provide pay raises for charter school teachers, aiming to resolve a standoff between Democratic lawmakers and Republican Governor Joe Lombardo over education funding. The bill also offers bonuses for teachers in hard-to-fill positions, particularly in Title 1 and special education roles, with funding expected to cost approximately $19.3 million per fiscal year from the general fund. Governor Lombardo has threatened to veto the education budget unless it includes equal pay raises for charter school educators, emphasizing the importance of improving education for all Nevada children. Democratic leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro, have assured that raises for charter school teachers would come through separate legislation, with accountability measures similar to those for traditional public schools. The pay raise structure is modeled after Senate Bill 231 from 2023, which resulted in significant raises and helped reduce vacancy rates across Nevada school districts. This legislative effort reflects a bipartisan concern to address teacher shortages and improve compensation within Nevada's charter schools.