Nevada
Chronic absenteeism decreases at Nevada schools, proficiency rates improve – The Nevada Independent
Public schools statewide are making progress toward lowering chronic student absenteeism and improving student achievement, according to data from the 2023-24 school year released Monday by the Nevada Department of Education (NDE).
However, despite the gains the state experienced in its math and English Language Arts proficiency rates among third- through eighth-grade students, they still lag behind pre-pandemic levels.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jhone Ebert said the data points are a sign that things are headed in the right direction. She credits the progress to some of the recent investment the state has made in K-12 education including professional development opportunities on reading instruction and the work that NDE has been doing to personalize learning for students.
“Coming out of the pandemic, we knew that there were a lot of pieces to the puzzle that we needed to tackle,” Ebert said. “I think all of those coming together: making sure that teachers have resources, making sure that kids are coming to school, all of those components help lean in on the increase in ELA and the increase in math.”
Chronic absenteeism
The state’s chronic absenteeism for the 2023-24 school year dropped by 9 percentage points from about 35 percent during the 2022-23 school year to 26 percent last school year, with some 60 percent of the state’s 781 schools lowering their rates by at least 10 percentage points, NDE said in a Monday statement.
Students are considered chronically absent when they miss 10 percent or more of school days.
Ebert credits the decrease to the work that schools are doing to connect with students and their families. That includes home visits and efforts to track down missing students.
The state’s largest school district, Clark County, also saw an improvement in its chronic absenteeism rate from 38 percent during the 2022-23 school year to 31 percent last school year. But Clark County remains higher than the statewide rate.
Washoe County, which saw a surprising increase in chronic absenteeism rate in the 2022-2023 school year from the year prior, dropped its rate by about 3 percentage points in the 2023-2024 school year.
Despite the improvements, the chronic absenteeism rate remains much higher than before the pandemic. About 77 percent of schools saw increases in chronic absenteeism — averaging about 8 percentage points — from the 2018-2019 to the 2023-2024 school years, according to a Nevada Independent analysis.
Esmeralda County, the state’s smallest district with about 90 students, had the highest chronic absenteeism rate among all of the 17 school districts and the state’s charter school system, 43 percent. Douglas County School District with about 5,000 students had the lowest at less than 21 percent.
Student achievement
Nevada schools saw improvements in mathematics proficiency among students in grades third through eighth for a second consecutive year. Overall, about a third of students in those grade levels demonstrated proficiency in math – a 1 percentage-point increase compared with the 2022-23 school year. But it still remains behind the pre-pandemic math rate, which is about 38 percent.
The state’s English Language Arts rate for those grade levels, 41 percent, also saw a slight uptick, but it too is behind the pre-pandemic rate of about 49 percent. Statewide, more than half of schools increased their English and math proficiency from the 2022-2023 school year, according to a Nevada Independent analysis.
Clark County School District (CCSD) students in grades third through eighth are performing below the state’s rates, scoring 30 percent in math proficiency and 39 percent in English Language Arts. CCSD’s high schoolers’ math proficiency rate has been on a downward trend since the 2018-19 school year, which mirrors the state’s rate.
Ebert attributed this to a need for more math teachers and an increase in student engagement.
Take the maps below, for example. They show that most schools in the Las Vegas Valley increased their English and math proficiency in the past year, though there were schools with falling proficiency levels, mostly in the central and eastern parts of the valley. Still, it’s a marked improvement from the same maps a year ago (shown here), which had many more schools with falling English proficiency.
However, the proficiency rates still lag significantly behind pre-pandemic levels. The Indy found that more than 75 percent of schools have lower English and math proficiency than in the 2018-2019 school year. The rate was slightly higher among Title I schools, a federal designation for schools with a higher percentage of students from low-income households.
Of all the district and charter schools, Lincoln County students in grades three through eight had the highest rate in math proficiency (47 percent), while Eureka County students had the highest rate in English Language Arts proficiency (59 percent).
Eureka County 11th graders outperformed their peers in other districts in math proficiency with a rate of 32 percent, while 11th graders in the state charter school system outperformed their peers in English language proficiency, 53 percent.
While the state is working on strategies to move the needle on K-12 education at a faster rate, Ebert said it will take some time until the investments made during the 2023 legislative session on K-12 education are reflected in the data.
“We’re driving specific, specialized resources to those that are most in need, and those resources just became available a year ago,” she said. “To implement any program you’re looking at least two to three years to see some shifts.”
Nevada
10-month-old found safe, North Las Vegas police cancel AMBER Alert
LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — Authorities have canceled an AMBER Alert after they say a 10-month-old child taken by a non-custodial parent was found safe.
North Las Vegas Police said Thursday that Leilani Williams (aka Leilani Duke) was taken by her father, Roderick Duke.
Duke and Leilani were last seen at an apartment complex in the area of Martin L. King Boulevard and Cheyenne Avenue at 1:40 a.m.
“An AMBER Alert has been activated due to Roderick being in emotional crisis and making threats to harm himself and 10-month-old Leilani,” NLVPD said in a statement.
By 10:05 a.m., NLVPD said that Leilani was located unharmed.
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Officers took Duke into custody without further incident, and the AMBER Alert has been canceled.
Nevada
California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks to Nevada Democrats in Las Vegas
California Gov. Gavin Newsom addressed Nevada Democrats who packed a Las Vegas brewery Wednesday evening for a discussion about his upbringing, his political life and efforts his state has taken to combat the Trump administration agenda.
Newsom, who has been floated as a possible White House contender for 2028, sidestepped a quip from former Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak who introduced him as the next U.S. president amid cheers from the crowd.
“I’m very grateful for your friendship, and a friendship that’s only strengthened over the course of the last year or so,” Newsom told Sisolak.
Book tour stop
The event, which served as a book tour stop for the California governor, was organized by the Nevada Democratic Party. It took place at Nevada Brew Works near Summerlin.
Nevada Assemblymember Daniele Monroe-Moreno, the state party chair running for North Las Vegas mayor, moderated the discussion.
It was part of the party’s Local Brews + National Views series that’s been bringing Democrats for similar discussions at intimate venues. Past speakers have included former President Joe Biden, Arizona U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
Criticizing President Donald Trump, Newsom spoke about the immediate aftermath of the 2024 general election.
“We were handwringing, a lot of finger pointing, and a sense of weakness,” Newsom said. “And just incapable of dealing with this moment, this existential moment.”
He said he is taking account for what he described as his own complicity.
“This happened on my watch. This is all happening on our watch,” Newsom said. “And so I realized that I needed to be better.”
That included his advocacy to redraw California’s Congressional map after Trump called for the same in Texas, he said.
“They’re not screwing around, nor are we,” he said about Trump and his administration. “All of us.”
‘You’re giving us a voice’
Newsom spoke out against the surge of federal immigration enforcement operations in California and later Minnesota, calls from the Trump administration to nationalize elections, and cuts to government funding due to the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act.
He said that pushback against Trump’s policies, including dozens of lawsuits filed by California, were making the president retreat on some of his proposals and policies.
“You’re filling the void, you’re giving us a voice, you’re giving us courage,” he told the crowd. “For things to change, we have to change. And it’s changing.”
The Republican National Committee reacted to Newsom’s Las Vegas visit. Earlier in the day, Newsom attended a private Boulder City event.
“Democrats are selling out to the spoiled, phony rich kid governor from California for years,” RNC spokesperson Nick Poche wrote in a statement. “President Donald Trump and Republicans are delivering major tax cuts and keeping Nevadans safe, unlike Democrats.”
The national Republican Party also criticized California’s policies, and tied them back to Nevada Democrats.
Most of Newsom’s remarks weren’t specific to Nevada. He didn’t take any questions from media.
Polling shows Newsom and Vice President JD Vance leading in hypothetical races for their parties’ nomination. That includes a survey of likely Nevada voters conducted one by Emerson College Polling in November.
Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Nevada
Second annual Nevada Nordic Freeheel Festival celebrates Tahoe winter recreation at SnowFest
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – It’s time to “free your heels” and embrace Tahoe’s winter recreation at the Nevada Nordic Freeheel Festival on March 7. Whether you’re a seasoned pro at cross-country skiing or snowshoeing, or you’re trying to get your feet wet, Saturday’s event is teeming with nature, brews, and camaraderie.
Travel North Tahoe Nevada (TNTNV) is teaming up with Nevada Nordic, Tahoe Multisport, Alibi Ale Works, UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation and other local partners in the wondrous Tahoe Meadows, providing attendees a chance to engage with outdoor recreation experts, check out free cross-country and snowshoe rentals, and more.
“We’re excited to see the Nevada Nordic Freeheel Festival enter its second year, building on last year’s strong community response. In collaboration with our local partners, this event is thoughtfully curated with residents in mind – offering free equipment for the day, expert instruction, locally crafted brews, and other experiences in a welcoming setting,” said Andy Chapman, President and CEO of Travel North Tahoe Nevada. “It’s designed to make it easy for residents to get outside, try something new, and bring people together. Events like this reflect the spirit of North Lake Tahoe and what’s possible when our community comes together.”
Along with opportunities to test out free demos and rentals, there will be live music, beer tasting and races.
Tahoe Meadows is known for its gentle trails, and is a popular spot for snowshoeing due to its flat terrain. This event, located near Chickadee Ridge, will offer stunning views of the surrounding mountains.
This family-friendly event is on the second to last day of the 10-day SnowFest winter festival that’s been taking place in the North Lake Tahoe area. It starts bright and early at 9 a.m. and will close out at 2 p.m.
“Nevada Nordic is thrilled to be a part of SnowFest again this year,” said Meghan Pry, Nevada Nordic Board Member. “We love sharing our passion for cross-country skiing and watching our community grow. We are proud to keep winter recreation accessible by offering free access to our 20km trail network. This is the perfect opportunity for our community to gather together and free our heels!”
For more information about the Nevada Nordic Freeheel Festival or to check out the SnowFest schedule, visit tahoesnowfest.org.
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