As it read Tuesday during the Nevada Assembly Education Committee hearing, Assembly Bill 304 would require all school districts to reduce their student to teachers ratios.
The Nevada State Board of Education would create a ratio for each district, and that district would have to reach that ratio before the start of the 2028-29 school year. The bill would also require districts to reach checkpoints of 25 percent towards the final ratio every two years, or the Superintendent of Public Instruction could withhold funding from the district. The same system applies for counselor to student ratios and librarian to student ratios.
The bill would also require districts to pay teachers who have class sizes around the ratio a bonus, as well as allow class sizes to be involved in collective bargaining agreements.
Some people who spoke during public comment spoke in favor of the bill read letters written by teachers. One letter that was read aloud came from a Washoe County School District teacher of 19 years.
"Our state has the largest student to teacher ratio in the country at 25.86. Thirty-five is way too many kids to effectively teach while being expected to show growth on high-stakes testing."
Even people opposed to the bill like the idea of reducing class sizes, but the most talked about issue during the "against" portion of public comment was that fact that the bill is an unfunded mandate.
"Superintendents have to look at the practicality of carrying out legislation and that's where our concern is," Mary Pierczynski, representative for the Nevada Association of School Superintendents, said during the hearing. "Where do we get the teachers? And where do we get the facilities to house the extra classrooms?"
The other point of opposition discussed was allowing class sizes to be discussed during Collective Bargaining Agreement CBAÂ negotiations.
"We don't think that that ratio should be involved in that discussion," Bryan Wachter, director of public and government affairs for Retail Association of Nevada said during the hearing. We believe the ratio is properly set through the state board."
Assemblywoman for District 5 Brittney Miller (D) is one of the bill's twelve sponsors, and presented the bill to the committee Tuesday.
"Yes it sounds complicated and will eventually require a huge infusion of funding over the next decade," Miller says. "But the time is now. We have to start somewhere."
Carson City School District Superintendent Richard Stokes said in a written statement, "As it reads, there appears to be no additional funding to carry out the requirements for Assembly Bill 304. We have difficulty with bills that require districts to take certain action without the necessary funding."
We reached out to WCSD, but did not receive a comment.
