Nevada

Overview

During the 2021-2022 school year, Nevada preschool enrolled 2,385 children, an increase of 416 from the prior year, as the program began to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. State spending totaled $18,228,297 with an additional $3,021,006 in federal recovery funds to support the program, up $1,352,024 (7%), adjusted for inflation since last year. State spending per child (including federal recovery funds) equaled $8,910 in 2021-2022, down $1,196 from 2020-2021, adjusted for inflation. Nevada met 7 of 10 quality standards benchmarks.

What's New

In December 2022, Nevada was awarded a federal Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B–5) renewal grant for $10 million. Funds are planned to be used to support three buckets of work: 1) Children and Families (i.e., kindergarten transition, parent leadership, and family engagement); 2) Workforce and Quality (i.e., professional development pathways, compensation model, QRIS coaching and specialized supports, and workforce and quality leadership); and 3) Comprehensive Systems (i.e., ECAC support, B-3 leadership and alignment, and cross-sector partnerships and collaboration). 

All state Pre-K programs are required to participate in the QRIS, and in 2021-2022, formal observations using ECERS was reinstated in Nevada Ready! In the 2021 legislative session and effective for the 2021-2022 school year, new policies require Pre-K programs to provide vision and hearing services and/or provide appropriate referrals as needed as part of comprehensive services.

Background

The Nevada Ready! State Pre-K (formerly known as the Nevada State Pre-Kindergarten Program) began in 2001. Programs operate in both community-based organizations and school districts. During the 2021-2022 school year, nearly 75% of enrolled children were served in programs operated by their local school districts, with 65% of school districts providing Nevada Ready! State PreK funded programs or classrooms. The Office of Early Learning and Development (OELD) within the Nevada Department of Education (NDE) is responsible for administering multiple early childhood state and federal funding sources including State Pre-K. Beginning in 2019- 2020, pre-K funds were no longer awarded through competitive grants but were instead distributed to existing school districts or programs based on the previous year’s final expenditures. 

Districts and programs determine eligibility based on highest need, which can include children from low-income families, those who are homeless, English Language Learners, or children receiving special education services. Nevada State Pre-Kindergarten program eligibility is set at 200% of FPL based on previous Preschool Development Grant (PDG) requirements. Programs are able to serve other children that do not meet the income requirement if there are not income eligible children on the waiting list and/or if they are braiding funds.

Nevada Ready! State Pre-K

Access

Some Head Start children may also be counted in state pre-K. Estimates children in special education not also enrolled in state pre-K or Head Start.
Total state pre-K enrollment	2,385
School districts that offer state program	65% (LEAs); 3 Community-Based Organizations
Income requirement	200% FPL
Minimum hours of operation	5 hours/day or 25 hours/week
Operating schedule	Determined locally
Special education enrollment, ages 3 and 4	3,466
Federally funded Head Start enrollment, ages 3 and 4	2,264
State-funded Head Start enrollment, ages 3 and 4	0

Resources

Pre-K programs may receive additional funds from federal or local sources that are not included in this figure. K–12 expenditures include capital spending as well as current operating expenditures. Head Start per-child spending includes funding only for 3- and 4-year-olds.