The Nevada legislature recently passed one of the most sweeping voucher programs in the nation. Every child in the state is eligible for a grant of $5,000 so long as they previously attended a public school for at least 100 days.
Make no mistake, this is a voucher program. Most students will use these vouchers to attend religious schools, which has been the experience of other states.
And yet, the Constitution of the state of Nevada clearly states in Article 11:
Sec: 9. Sectarian instruction prohibited in common schools and university. No sectarian instruction shall be imparted or tolerated in any school or University that may be established under this Constitution.
Section Ten. No public money to be used for sectarian purposes. No public funds of any kind or character whatever, State, County or Municipal, shall be used for sectarian purpose.
[Added in 1880. Proposed and passed by the 1877 legislature; agreed to and passed by the 1879 legislature; and approved and ratified by the people at the 1880 general election. See: Statutes of Nevada 1877, p. 221; Statutes of Nevada 1879, p. 149.]
The Nevada legislature clearly is violating the state Constitution by enacting a program that allows public money to be transferred to sectarian schools. The language could not be clearer. It is not ambiguous.
This voucher program in Nevada is not conservative; conservatives don’t ignore the explicit language of the Constitution. Conservatives don’t destroy traditional institutions that are integral to a democratic society.
The voucher promoters should be rebuked by public opinions, editorials, and the courts. They are violating the spirit and the letter of the Nevada Constitution.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
They renamed it and put this in some sort of fund but it clearly is a voucher – and currently the primary education facilities involved in its development are a Jewish private school and a Catholic private school.
http://m.reviewjournal.com/news/las-vegas/state-issues-guidelines-private-school-scholarships
Truly bizarre.
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The same is true in Florida.
Article IX: The education of children is a fundamental value of the people of the State of Florida. It is, therefore, a paramount duty of the state to make adequate provision for the education of all children residing within its borders. Adequate provision shall be made by law for a uniform, efficient, safe, secure, and high quality system of free public schools that allows students to obtain a high quality education and for the establishment, maintenance, and operation of institutions of higher learning and other public education programs that the needs of the people may require. To assure that children attending public schools obtain a high quality education, the legislature shall make adequate provision to ensure that, by the beginning of the 2010 school year, there are a sufficient number of classrooms so that:
(1) The maximum number of students who are assigned to each teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms for prekindergarten through grade 3 does not exceed 18 students;
(2) The maximum number of students who are assigned to each teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms for grades 4 through 8 does not exceed 22 students; and
(3) The maximum number of students who are assigned to each teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms for grades 9 through 12 does not exceed 25 students.
The legislature, Governor, and the courts ignore all violations of the Florida constitution.
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Good to know politicians are focusing on “improving public schools”, which is how this was sold to the public.
Biggest bait and switch in US history.
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Exactly. How’s the ghetto-ization of America somehow called public? Not exactly the best example of unity, equality, and citizenship.
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If tax money funds private schools, taxpayers should have a say in how that money is spent. Religious schools may find political winds shifting to their favor now, but the future may change in how voters view private schools. Religious and private schools may be told who to hire, what to teach, and how school policy is conducted. For example, Catholic schools in Cincinnati ban gay teachers and any teachers supporting gay children or friends. If public money is funneled to these schools, then that ban could be overturned. It is hard to argue religious freedom and autonomy when a school takes public money. Might be a case of “be careful what you wish for”.
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Where are the thinking people in Nevada!
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Most of the thinking people are rural educators. We are ignored for two reasons: we’re rural and we’re educators! Meanwhile, the politicians are in session only every OTHER year. They hurry and pass legislation with a governor hoping for national recognition and the voters have little input or recourse.
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They left or are packing!
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Yes Old Teacher. Those that can afford to have left, retired, or are counting the days. Especially after today’s news of the alleged annual salary freeze.
http://lasvegassun.com/news/2015/jul/01/ccsd-teachers-budget-raises/
In addition to the vouchers and salary freeze, our health benefits are in a major upheaval causing an increase in our co-pays. It just never ends. How much more can we do when we get less and less every year?
I’m counting the days. Which is sad, because I love my kids.
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