LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The Nevada Department of Education sought more than $700 million in funds from lawmakers at a time when school districts across the state are facing budget shortfalls that could lead to staff layoffs.
The discussions regarding the funds took place on Thursday before the legislative Interim Finance Committee. It started with a vote to approve nearly $45 million for school districts to pay for teacher bonuses.
Nevada lawmakers included teacher bonuses and pay raises as part of an education budget that passed last year. The bonuses were for teachers employed in hard to fill positions, such as working in economically disadvantaged schools, which are known as Title 1 schools. The idea was to bring down vacancies…