Clark County School District to Seek Major Overhaul of Nevada’s Pupil-Centered Funding Plan in 2027 Legislature

LAS VEGAS, NV — The Clark County School District (CCSD) is finalizing a comprehensive legislative policy agenda aimed at overhauling the state’s Pupil-Centered Funding Plan (PCFP) when the Nevada Legislature convenes for the 2027 biennial session.

District trustees and administrators represent more than 300,000 public school students across Southern Nevada. The district argues that while the PCFP modernized the state’s 54-year-old school finance framework in 2021, persistent inflationary costs, structural deficits in baseline per-pupil allocations, and outdated weighted multiplier targets require urgent legislative intervention.

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|          CCSD 2027 LEGISLATIVE FUNDING DOSSIER         |
+--------------------------------------------------------+
|  - Lead Entity: Clark County School District (CCSD)    |
|  - Target Session: 84th Nevada Legislative Session     |
|  - Student Footprint: ~300,000 Students (~65% of NV)   |
|  - Statutory Framework: Pupil-Centered Funding Plan    |
|                         (SB 543 / NRS Chapter 387)     |
|  - Key Priorities:                                     |
|      • Baseline Per-Pupil Inflation Indexing           |
|      • Expansion of Weighted Multipliers (EL, At-Risk) |
|      • Dedicated Special Education Funding Relief      |
|      • Educator Compensation & Retention Adjustments   |
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Addressing Inflationary Gaps and Baseline Allocations

Under the original PCFP design enacted under Senate Bill 543, state revenues—including the Local School Support Tax and property tax contributions—are pooled into the State Education Fund and distributed on a weighted per-student basis.

District finance officials contend that baseline per-pupil allocations have not kept pace with double-digit operational cost increases across utilities, transportation, fuel, property insurance, and health care benefits.

CCSD plans to petition lawmakers to implement a mandatory annual inflation adjustment mechanism on the statewide base per-pupil figure rather than relying entirely on discretionary biennial budget surplus allocations.

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|              CCSD PROPOSED POLICY ADJUSTMENTS          |
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|  1. Base Allocation   | Index baseline per-pupil rate  |
|                       | to annual CPI inflation        |
|  2. Weighted Funding  | Accelerate multi-tier weights  |
|                       | for English Learners & At-Risk |
|  3. Special Education | Increase state per-pupil carve-|
|                       | outs to close district deficit |
|  4. Transportation    | Update funding formulas for    |
|                       | student bus transit routing    |
+--------------------------------------------------------+

Strengthening Weighted Multipliers and Special Education

A core pillar of CCSD’s 2027 legislative push focuses on the multi-tiered “weighted” funding streams intended to support vulnerable student demographics:

English Learners (EL) & At-Risk Multipliers: CCSD serves the overwhelming majority of Nevada’s English language learners and low-income students. The district will advocate for accelerating the implementation timeline toward “full adequacy” multipliers recommended by the Commission on School Funding.
Special Education Subsidies: The district continues to backfill significant operational gaps from its general operating budget to meet federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandates, prompting calls for expanded state special education allocations.
Staff Retention Incentives: The legislative package will seek targeted state grant funding for hiring bonuses and retention stipends for critical shortage areas, including special education teachers, bus drivers, and mental health professionals.

“Providing every student in Clark County with a high-quality education requires a funding formula that reflects the actual, modern cost of classroom instruction and wraparound student services,” district leadership stated. “We look forward to working closely with lawmakers, the Governor’s office, and regional education partners to ensure Nevada schools are funded for sustainable student success.”

The 84th Session of the Nevada Legislature is scheduled to convene in Carson City in February 2027.

Source: Clark County School District Board of School Trustees, Nevada Department of Education Commission on School Funding, Nevada Legislative Counsel Bureau.