Back to school: Public education has its flaws, but that doesn’t mean we should give up on it

Thu, Jul 30, 2026 (2 a.m.) Public schooling has never been more essential. The widening gap between working‑class families and the affluent demands robust mechanisms that enable low‑income individuals to improve their circumstances through education—a foundation for a career and lasting stability. Yet public schools have never faced greater peril. Declining trust in institutions—government, health care, public safety, and education—particularly after COVID‑19, has fueled a Republican‑led initiative that has been building for decades. The argument runs: if public schools are underperforming, the fault lies in a lack of competition; therefore, public funds should be redirected to help students attend private, charter, or home schools, and everyone will benefit. That reasoning sounds plausible, but multiple studies from the nonpartisan Brookings Institution indicate otherwise. Operating under the banners of “school choice” or “parental choice,” the approach has been shown to advantage wealthier families rather than low‑income households in Arizona and to produce little improvement for rural communities that lack access to private options. Concerns also persist about the divestment of resources from public schools. When President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last year, it established a national tax‑credit assistance program for households earning up to 300 % of the national median income. The unprecedented measure permits individuals or corporations to claim tax credits of as much as $1,700 for donations to nonprofit scholarship‑granting organizations, which then distribute the funds to families for expenses such as tuition, supplies, room and board, uniforms, transportation, equipment, or internet service. Students enrolled in either public or private schools may use the scholarships at public, private, or religious institutions. Along with 29 other governors, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo opted into the program, which is slated to take effect in 2027. Against this backdrop, the nation’s fifth‑largest school district is set to begin classes on August 10. The Clark County School District confronts a suite of familiar challenges—budget shortfalls, aging infrastructure requiring upgrades, declining enrollment, and staff reductions. These headwinds may appear overwhelming, and the prevailing narrative of a “failing public school system” looms large in the minds of families as children return to school. Nevertheless, a closer look at what is happening inside public schools reveals a different story—one in which teachers and administrators are fully committed to student learning, pupils are excelling and preparing to apply their newly acquired knowledge and skills to adult life, and families are discovering the support they need for their children to thrive. We sought to understand why many are choosing to place their confidence in public schools at this moment. To that end, we interviewed early‑career teachers who are training or preparing to start the upcoming school year, high‑achieving students already mapping out their future careers, and administrators working to make public schools the optimal choice for families residing in Southern Nevada. A common theme emerged. Success demands dedication from students and teachers to show up and meet the day’s many demands. It requires parents to engage actively in their children’s academics and extracurriculars. And it calls for administrators to prevent students and families from slipping through the cracks. Investing in public education is not about reverting to outdated systems that fail; it is about determining how to make them work and refusing to abandon them when difficulties arise. Click HERE to subscribe for free to the Weekly Fix, the digital edition of Las Vegas Weekly! Stay up to date with the latest on Las Vegas concerts, shows, restaurants, bars and more, delivered straight to your inbox!