SB115 - Makes various changes relating to bilingual education. (BDR 34-790)

- 83rd Session (2025) Senate Bill No. 115–Senators Cruz-Crawford and Doñate Joint Sponsor: Assemblymember Moore CHAPTER.......... AN ACT relating to education; authorizing the board of trustees of a school district or governing body of a charter school to provide a stipend to certain teachers who teach pupils enrolled in a program of bilingual education; requiring information concerning such stipends to be included in certain reports prepared by the board of trustees of each school district and the governing body of each charter school; requiring the Commission on Professional Standards in Education to adopt regulations requiring teachers to hold an endorsement to teach pupils enrolled in a program of bilingual education; and providing other matters properly relating thereto. Legislative Counsel’s Digest: Existing law creates the Commission on Professional Standards in Education and requires the Commission to adopt regulations prescribing the qualifications for licensing teachers and other educational personnel. (NRS 391.011, 391.019) Under existing law, such regulations must include a requirement that to be eligible to teach in a field of specialization, a teacher is required to obtain from the Department of Education an endorsement in that field of specialization, unless the Superintendent of Public Instruction approves a request submitted by the board of trustees of a school district to employ licensed teachers who do not hold an endorsement to teach in a subject area for which there is a shortage of teachers at a public school within the district. (NRS 391.019, 391.125) Existing regulations: (1) require that to teach pupils enrolled in a program of bilingual education, a person must hold an endorsement issued by the Department to teach pupils in a program of bilingual education and pass an examination or assessment to demonstrate language proficiency; and (2) establish the requirements for a person to obtain such an endorsement. (NAC 391.059, 391.242) Section 4 of this bill specifically requires the regulations adopted by the Commission to include a requirement that to teach pupils enrolled in a program of bilingual education, a person must hold an endorsement issued by the Department to teach pupils in a program of bilingual education. Section 3 of this bill authorizes the board of trustees of a school district or the governing body of a charter school to provide a stipend of $2,500 each school year to each teacher who is assigned to teach pupils enrolled in a program of bilingual education and who: (1) holds an endorsement to teach pupils enrolled in a program of bilingual education; or (2) is currently enrolled in a course of study or program of preparation that will satisfy the educational requirements to obtain an endorsement to teach pupils enrolled in a program of bilingual education and is authorized by law to teach pupils enrolled in such a program. If such a stipend is provided by a school district which has more than 100,000 pupils enrolled in its public schools (currently Clark County School District) or a charter school, section 3 requires such a stipend to be paid out of the budget of the local school precinct or charter school at which the teacher receiving the stipend is employed. For the purposes of sections 3 and 4, a “program of bilingual education” is defined as a – 2 – - 83rd Session (2025) program of instruction for English learners in which pupils are taught the English language and the content of other courses of study is taught in the pupil’s primary language. Existing law requires the board of trustees of each school district and the governing body of each charter school to submit an annual report to certain entities that includes certain information on budgets and expenditures. (NRS 387.303, 388A.345) Sections 1 and 2 of this bill require such a report to additionally include information on the number of employees who received the stipend described in section 3 in the preceding and then-current fiscal years. EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. NRS 387.303 is hereby amended to read as follows: 387.303 1. Not later than November 1 of each year, the board of trustees of each school district shall submit to the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Department of Taxation a report which includes the following information: (a) For each fund within the school district, including, without limitation, the school district’s general fund and any special revenue fund which receives state money, the total number and salaries of licensed and nonlicensed persons whose salaries are paid from the fund and who are employed by the school district in full-time positions or in part-time positions added together to represent full- time positions. Information must be provided for the current school year based upon the school district’s final budget, including any amendments and augmentations thereto, and for the preceding school year. An employee must be categorized as filling an instructional, administrative, instructional support or other position. (b) The school district’s actual expenditures in the fiscal year immediately preceding the report. (c) The school district’s proposed expenditures for the current fiscal year. (d) The schedule of salaries for licensed employees in the current school year and a statement of whether the negotiations regarding salaries for the current school year have been completed. If the negotiations have not been completed at the time the schedule of salaries is submitted, the board of trustees shall submit a supplemental report to the Superintendent of Public Instruction upon completion of negotiations or the determination of an arbitrator concerning the negotiations that includes the schedule of salaries agreed to or required by the arbitrator. – 3 – - 83rd Session (2025) (e) The number of employees who received an increase in salary pursuant to NRS 391.161, 391.162 or 391.163 for the current and preceding fiscal years. If the board of trustees is required to pay an increase in salary retroactively pursuant to NRS 391.161, the board of trustees shall submit a supplemental report to the Superintendent of Public Instruction not later than February 15 of the year in which the retroactive payment was made that includes the number of teachers to whom an increase in salary was paid retroactively. (f) The number of employees eligible for health insurance within the school district for the current and preceding fiscal years and the amount paid for health insurance for each such employee during those years. (g) The rates for fringe benefits, excluding health insurance, paid by the school district for its licensed employees in the preceding and current fiscal years. (h) The amount paid for extra duties, supervision of extracurricular activities and supplemental pay and the number of employees receiving that pay in the preceding and current fiscal years. (i) The number of employees who received a stipend pursuant to section 3 of this act in the preceding and current fiscal years. 2. On or before November 25 of each year, the Superintendent of Public Instruction shall submit to the Office of Finance and the Fiscal Analysis Division of the Legislative Counsel Bureau, in a format approved by the Director of the Office of Finance, a compilation of the reports made by each school district pursuant to subsection 1. 3. In preparing the agency biennial budget request for the State Education Fund for submission to the Office of Finance, the Superintendent of Public Instruction: (a) Shall compile the information from the most recent compilation of reports submitted pursuant to subsection 2; and (b) May consider the cost of enhancements to existing programs or the projected cost of proposed new educational programs, regardless of whether those enhancements or new programs are included in the adjusted base per pupil funding for inclusion in the biennial budget request to the Office of Finance. 4. The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall, in the compilation required by subsection 2, reconcile the revenues of the school districts with the apportionment received by those districts from the State Education Fund for the preceding year. 5. The request prepared pursuant to subsection 3 must: – 4 – - 83rd Session (2025) (a) Be presented by the Superintendent of Public Instruction to such standing committees of the Legislature as requested by the standing committees for the purposes of developing educational programs and providing appropriations for those programs; and (b) Provide for a direct comparison of appropriations to the proposed budget of the Governor submitted pursuant to subsection 4 of NRS 353.230. Sec. 2. NRS 388A.345 is hereby amended to read as follows: 388A.345 1. On or before November 1 of each year, the governing body of each charter school shall submit to the sponsor of the charter school, the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau for transmission to the Majority Leader of the Senate and the Speaker of the Assembly a report that includes: (a) A written description of the progress of the charter school in achieving the mission and goals of the charter school set forth in its application. (b) For each fund maintained by the charter school, including, without limitation, the general fund of the charter school and any special revenue fund which receives state money, the total number and salaries of licensed and nonlicensed persons whose salaries are paid from the fund and who are employed by the governing body in full-time positions or in part-time positions added together to represent full-time positions. Information must be provided for the current school year based upon the final budget of the charter school, including any amendments and augmentations thereto, and for the preceding school year. An employee must be categorized as filling an instructional, administrative, instructional support or other position. (c) The actual expenditures of the charter school in the fiscal year immediately preceding the report. (d) The proposed expenditures of the charter school for the current fiscal year. (e) The salary schedule for licensed employees and nonlicensed teachers in the current school year and a statement of whether salary negotiations for the current school year have been completed. If salary negotiations have not been completed at the time the salary schedule is submitted, the governing body shall submit a supplemental report to the Superintendent of Public Instruction upon completion of negotiations. (f) The number of employees eligible for health insurance within the charter school for the current and preceding fiscal years and the – 5 – - 83rd Session (2025) amount paid for health insurance for each such employee during those years. (g) The rates for fringe benefits, excluding health insurance, paid by the charter school for its licensed employees in the preceding and current fiscal years. (h) The amount paid for extra duties, supervision of extracurricular activities and supplemental pay and the number of employees receiving that pay in the preceding and current fiscal years. (i) The number of employees who received a stipend pursuant to section 3 of this act in the preceding and current fiscal years. 2. On or before November 25 of each year, the Superintendent of Public Instruction shall submit to the Office of Finance and the Fiscal Analysis Division of the Legislative Counsel Bureau, in a format approved by the Director of the Office of Finance, a compilation of the reports made by each governing body pursuant to subsection 1. 3. The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall, in the compilation required by subsection 2, reconcile the revenues and expenditures of the charter schools with the apportionment received by those schools from the State Education Fund for the preceding year. Sec. 3. Chapter 391 of NRS is hereby amended by adding thereto a new section to read as follows: 1. Each school year, the board of trustees of a school district or the governing body of a charter school may provide a stipend in the amount of $2,500 to each teacher who is assigned to teach pupils enrolled in a program of bilingual education and: (a) Holds an endorsement to teach pupils enrolled in a program of bilingual education; or (b) Is currently enrolled in a course of study or program of preparation to teach pupils enrolled in a program of bilingual education, the completion of which will satisfy the educational requirements to obtain an endorsement to teach pupils enrolled in a program of bilingual education established by the Commission pursuant to NRS 391.019, and is authorized by law to teach pupils enrolled in a program of bilingual education notwithstanding the regulations adopted by the Commission pursuant to paragraph (n) of subsection 1 of NRS 391.019. 2. A teacher may not receive a stipend pursuant to this section more than once per school year. 3. Any stipend provided to a teacher who is employed at a local school precinct in a large school district or a charter school – 6 – - 83rd Session (2025) must be paid from the budget of the local school precinct or charter school, as applicable. 4. As used in this section: (a) “Large school district” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 388G.530. (b) “Local school precinct” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 388G.535. (c) “Program of bilingual education” means a program of instruction for English learners in which pupils are taught the English language and the content of other courses of study is taught using the pupil’s primary language. Sec. 4. NRS 391.019 is hereby amended to read as follows: 391.019 1. Except as otherwise provided in NRS 391.027, the Commission shall adopt regulations: (a) Prescribing the qualifications for licensing teachers and other educational personnel and the procedures for the issuance and renewal of those licenses. The regulations: (1) Must include, without limitation, the qualifications for licensing teachers and administrators pursuant to an alternative route to licensure which provides that the required education and training may be provided by any qualified provider which has been approved by the Commission, including, without limitation, institutions of higher education and other providers that operate independently of an institution of [Text truncated for display. Full text available on LegiScan.]