Ed-Flex approved for Nevada schools
The Nevada Department of Education announced in late August that it had received Ed-Flex approval from the U.S. Department of Education.
“Nevada school districts and schools will now be able to work directly with the Nevada Department of Education, rather than the federal government, to waive certain federal education requirements when greater flexibility can better serve students,” the Nevada Department of Education wrote in an Aug. 31 press release.
On Aug. 21, the U.S. Department of Education shared publicly that Nevada’s Ed-Flex application had been approved.
“Ed-Flex gives Nevada educators another tool to give students the support they need to succeed,” Gov. Joe Lombardo said in a statement. “This authority puts important decisions about our schools where they belong — in Nevada, not Washington, D.C. I appreciate the U.S. Department of Education for working with Nevada to secure this flexibility and empower our local educators and school leaders to make decisions that best serve their students.”
Nevada’s Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Victor Wakefield explained in a statement, “The U.S. Department of Education’s approval of Ed-Flex for Nevada is an important step toward providing more flexibility for our districts and schools in the use of federal title funding. Nevada’s participation in Ed-Flex is the direct result of valuable feedback provided earlier this year during my statewide listening tour and complements broader efforts led by Governor Joe Lombardo and the Nevada Legislature to modernize and streamline processes. Our shared goal is to focus time and resources on what matters most: high-quality teaching and learning.”
According to the Aug. 31 release, a school district can be required by federal rules to split funding between priorities such as technology, academic enrichment and student health and safety.
“Under Ed-Flex, a district could work with the Nevada Department of Education to waive those requirements and put more of those dollars toward the area where its students need the most support,” the Nevada Department of Education press release stated.
The request for the Nevada Department of Education to apply to Ed-Flex was done by both the Nye and Washoe County school districts.
“Ed-Flex approval is a huge win for Nevada schools,” Nye County School District Superintendent Dr. Joseph Gent explained in a statement. “It gives us the flexibility to direct federal funds straight to our local priorities and support our students more effectively.”
Washoe County School District Superintendent Tiffany McMaster said in a statement, “Local educators and school leaders are closest to the students and communities we serve, and they are best positioned to understand how to use resources to meet their unique needs. We appreciate Superintendent Wakefield’s commitment to listening to our districts and turning that feedback into meaningful action. Nevada’s new Ed-Flex authority gives us greater flexibility to make thoughtful decisions about federal resources and, most importantly, to focus those resources where they can have the greatest impact on student learning and success.”
Nye County School District Grants Director Karen Holley told the Pahrump Valley Times that the recent approval gives more power to the state and helps local education agencies and state education agencies work together more in support of academics.
“The Ed-Flex gave us an opportunity to have more local control in our state for waivers,” Holley explained. “The waivers are meant to assist school districts in spending their funding in support of their school performance plans, their district performance plans and their strategic plans. Those are all aligned under the state plan. So it just made it one less step for our LEAs.”
Contact reporter Elijah Dulay at edulay@pvtimes.com
