Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026 | 2 a.m.
Editor's note: Este artículo está traducido al español.
Former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, speaking Thursday successful the gymnasium astatine Founders Classical Academy, handed Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo a rubric erstwhile attached to Youngkin.
“I person to say, arsenic idiosyncratic who was called the acquisition governor, you are the acquisition governor,” Youngkin said.
The visit, 2 days aft U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon met with Lombardo, enactment acquisition astatine the halfway of the governor’s reelection bid against Democrat Aaron Ford, the authorities lawyer general. According to Lombardo’s campaign, acquisition has been a cornerstone of his messaging since helium archetypal ran for politician successful 2022.
Lombardo utilized Thursday’s lawsuit to tout his record: helping to unafraid much than $2 cardinal successful further schoolhouse funding, expanding schoolhouse prime done unfastened enrollment, backing amended proscription and providing wider entree to Opportunity Scholarships.
“In the past 4 years, we made immoderate important investments and reforms successful education, and we person started to spot results,” Lombardo said.
Since 2022 crossed Nevada, helium said, puerility literacy rates person risen 5%, portion chronic absenteeism is down and a fig of one-star schools person raised their ratings.
The lawsuit highlighted Lombardo’s determination to opt successful to the Federal Tax Credit Scholarship Program, created by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and taking effect Jan. 1. The programme lets Nevada taxpayers redirect up to $1,700 of their national income taxes — oregon $3,400 for joined couples filing jointly — to certified assistance organizations that assistance families screen private-school tuition and different K-12 acquisition expenses.
Youngkin praised Lombardo arsenic 1 of the archetypal governors to opt successful and said helium believes the programme volition bring millions of dollars to the state.
“Now (Nevadans) summation entree to what I judge are the astir almighty scholarships our federation has ever seen: acquisition state taxation recognition scholarships,” Youngkin said.
Democrats criticized the programme successful an early-October missive to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, arguing that it diverts wealth from nationalist acquisition to prop up backstage schools.
The national programme gives Lombardo different way aft Democrats who power the Legislature repeatedly blocked his efforts to grow the Nevada Opportunity Scholarship program. Established successful 2015, the public-private programme provides scholarships of up to $10,094 to students attending backstage schools. Students surviving successful households earning up to 300% of the national poorness level are eligible. It is funded by concern donations that gain a dollar-for-dollar recognition against the state’s Modified Business Tax, with full credits capped astatine astir $6.7 cardinal a year.
In 2023, Lombardo sought to boost that backing to $50 cardinal and yet $500 million, but Democrats stripped the connection from his acquisition bill, arguing the authorities should absorption connected nationalist schools.
Daniel Reyes, a erstwhile Founders Classical Academy student, said helium benefited from the scholarship.
“Without that scholarship, there’s nary mode my household would person been capable to spend backstage education,” Reyes said. “That accidental close determination changed my life.”
Ford isn’t buying that Lombardo is the acquisition governor.
A erstwhile nationalist schoolhouse mathematics teacher, Ford has argued that Lombardo hasn’t made advancement connected acquisition contempt being vocal astir reforms.
He points to Nevada’s No. 46 ranking successful acquisition outcomes successful the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 2025 Kids Count report, on with Nevada’s debased proficiency scores successful simple speechmaking and math. He has besides criticized Lombardo for supporting President Donald Trump’s propulsion to destruct the U.S. Department of Education.
“I went to tribunal to support that cardinal dollars a twelvemonth that we received from the national Department of Education, a Department of Education which, incidentally, provides opportunities for students who travel from little affluent neighborhoods. I was 1 of those kids,” Ford said earlier this year.
Ford’s acquisition program calls for speechmaking specialists successful each simple school, smaller people sizes, expanded aboriginal puerility acquisition and amended wage for schoolhouse enactment staff.
Ford’s program besides includes escaped meal and luncheon for each students, a programme temporarily funded by national pandemic aid. Lombardo vetoed a 2023 measure to widen it with authorities money, citing nutrient discarded and different programs addressing nutrient insecurity.
Nearly 4 years into Lombardo’s term, Nevada’s schools inactive look superior challenges. The authorities spends thousands of dollars little per pupil than the nationalist average, and schools proceed to conflict with teacher shortages, layoffs and a deficiency of infrastructure.
If reelected, Lombardo said, helium would summation per-pupil backing to amended infrastructure, teacher pay, schoolhouse options and transportation.
“I’m precise arrogant of our record,” helium said. “But I besides admit the advancement contiguous isn’t guaranteed to continue. I judge parents merit much options, not fewer, and I mean to support expanding those opportunities successful my adjacent term.”
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