Friday, Feb. 10, 2023
Is Nevada charter school student performance as low as in Washoe County schools?
Despite having more challenging operating metrics, Nevada's charter schools outperform Washoe County in student proficiency.
In 2021-22, Nevada charter schools under the State Public Charter School Authority had 55,415 students, effectively making charters Nevada's third-largest school district. Washoe County School District, the state's second-largest, had 62,540 students.
Charter schools have a higher student-to-teacher ratio than Washoe (26:1 versus 21:1), more students of color (68% versus 58%) and significantly lower spending per student ($7,243 versus $10,220). However, charter school student proficiency is higher in English language arts in elementary, middle and high school, and in math in elementary and middle school. The charter school graduation rate is also higher (87% versus 82%).
To increase parents’ educational choices for their children, Gov. Joe Lombardo said he plans to submit legislation to create an Office of School Choice within the state Department of Education.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
- Nevada Department of Education Welcome to Nevada Accountability Portal
- Nevada Department of Education Welcome to Nevada Accountability Portal
- KOLO-TV Read the Governor’s full State of the State address
About fact briefs
Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by Gigafact contributor publications.
See all fact briefs
The Nevada Independent is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news and opinion website founded in 2017 by veteran political journalist and commentator Jon Ralston. The site and its supporting channels are focused on ethical, unbiased and transparent journalism. In general, we aim to gather and disseminate important public information and increase civic engagement. We are supported by corporate donations, memberships, event ticket sales and sponsorships and foundation grants. We disclose all our members and donors. Donors have no influence over our content, ever. The Nevada Independent is the dba for Nevada News Bureau, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 2010 by Elizabeth Thompson, who now serves as one of The Nevada Independent's managing directors and its Editor.
Learn MoreLatest Fact Briefs
Was a large percentage of votes received after Election Day in Nevada in 2024?
Monday, Feb. 3, 2025
Did Nevada lag most of the nation in job growth in 2024?
Monday, Jan. 27, 2025
Did Republicans switch votes to Trump in Nevada in the 2024 election?
Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025