In his final State of the State Address, Gov. Kenny Guinn reiterated his commitment to K-12 education, calling investment in public schools “critical to the future success of [the] state.”
The governor proposed $100 million in new state bonds to help sustain the Millennium Scholarship program—a 1999 initiative that provides up to $10,000 in college scholarships to students with qualifying grade point averages.
The Republican governor, who took office six years ago and cannot seek a third term, expressed concern about the condition of Nevada’s public school system, which is one of the fastest-growing in the country, with more than 35,000 new students expected in the next two years alone.
More than 120 of the state’s schools are classified as needing improvements under the federal No Child Left Behind law, and 99 more are on the warning list.
Read the text of Gov. Guinn’s address.
“We must develop a system that is long on accountability and short on excuses. It must be a system that demands progress,” said Mr. Guinn, who gave his speech to the legislature on Jan. 24. The legislature is not scheduled to meet again in 2006.
To help troubled schools, the governor proposed a dedicated fund of $100 million to help establish best practices for school remediation programs, as well as all-day kindergarten, and staff development.
To help public schools pay for better teacher training, textbooks, and classroom supplies, Mr. Guinn also called for $500 million in new aid in the two-year budget for fiscal years 2006 and 2007.
