Democratic gubernatorial candidate Aaron Ford sat down with Clark County School District teachers at Sedway Middle School this week, fielding pointed questions on funding, student behavior and the future of Nevada classrooms. The visit comes as Ford, Nevada's attorney general, tries to unseat Republican incumbent Gov. Joe Lombardo in a race increasingly defined by a fight over who deserves credit — or blame — for the state's K-12 finances.
Ford's stop carries extra weight because the teachers he met with belong to a union that has already thrown its support behind his opponent. As reported by KLAS 8 News Now, the Clark County Education Association represents the majority of CCSD teachers and endorsed Lombardo for governor, leaving Ford to make his case directly to rank-and-file educators rather than through union leadership. CCEA has credited Lombardo with a $2.5 billion K-12 investment in 2023.
Teachers Press Ford on Money, Behavior and Discipline
Sedway Middle School, a Title 1 school that receives federal funding to help economically disadvantaged students, set the backdrop for a round of direct questions from staff, per the station's report. Josh Luera, a teacher at Desert Oasis High School, asked Ford how he would establish a stable revenue stream for schools. A teacher identified as Janet pressed him on his broader plan for Nevada youth, while Jasmine Young, an assistant principal at Sedway, wanted to know how his office would work with CCSD on fair disciplinary frameworks.
One unnamed CCSD social worker told Ford that staff are getting beaten up on the job and are paid less than new teachers and licensed staff, according to the same account. Ford, a former teacher, acknowledged that teaching is a tough job and said an education governor must prioritize school budgeting above other concerns.
Ford Says Nevada Won't Close the Funding Gap in One Term
Nevada public schools received roughly $18,600 per student in total funding for the 2023-2024 school year, about $2,400 below the national average, largely because of lower local revenue contributions, according to USAFacts. When a teacher asked Ford how he would raise per-pupil funding, he said Nevada would not reach the national average in a single term, adding that the state has limited financial resources and many needs, and that priorities matter.
Ford also criticized Lombardo's recent emergency intervention in CCSD finances, arguing the governor should have seen the signs of economic strain coming, per KLAS. CCSD had warned it was blaming lower enrollment for a $51.6 million budget shortfall that raised the prospect of teacher layoffs. On September 25, Lombardo signed off on an emergency regulation from the Nevada Department of Education allowing districts with declining enrollment, including CCSD, to receive funding based on previously approved enrollment projections, according to a Nevada Governor's Office announcement, since declining enrollment directly reduces the state funding a district receives.
Data Centers Become a Flashpoint Between Ford and Teachers
Lombardo's 2023 push also included Senate Bill 231, which he signed that year to create a $250 million matching fund helping districts offer raises to teachers and support staff, separate from a broader $2 billion increase in per-pupil spending, the Las Vegas Sun reported in 2023. That record is part of the education-funding backdrop to Ford's outreach to teachers.
Ford co-sponsored a 2015 law providing tax breaks to data centers. Data centers have become a major flashpoint in the governor's race, with Ford's role in the law part of the debate.
A Toss-Up Race Heading Into Early Voting
Lombardo and Ford are headed to the November 3 general election in a tight race. Early voting in Nevada begins October 17.
Nevada's K-12 achievement struggles form part of the backdrop for both campaigns' education pitches. A prior Hoodline report described most Nevada students as missing grade level. CCSD itself received a rating of 2 on the framework's one-to-three scale in September under the state's new District Performance Framework established by Senate Bill 460.
8 News Now reported it reached out to the Lombardo campaign for comment on Ford's visit and the broader funding dispute and received a statement from the campaign on Wednesday.
