Between the 2019-2020 and 2024-2025 school years, the number of students attending charter schools in Clark County grew by 26 percent — from approximately 50,800 to 64,128 students, according to Nevada Department of Education enrollment data.

In that same period, Clark County School District enrollment declined by more than 8 percent. From August 2022 to August 2025 alone, CCSD lost 27,193 students. The district’s current enrollment of approximately 285,707 students is the lowest in more than 20 years — lower than the 280,840 students enrolled in the 2004-2005 school year, according to district records.

The population of Southern Nevada increased by 5 percent during the same period.

The shift is not incidental. According to a November 2025 report, statewide charter school enrollment reached 70,534 students as of Oct. 1, 2025 — a nearly 10 percent increase year over year. The State Public Charter School Authority, which authorizes the vast majority of Nevada charter schools, is now the second-largest school system in Nevada, surpassing Washoe County School District.

When the SPCSA was founded in 2011, it oversaw approximately 11,000 students. Today it oversees more than 70,000. In January 2025, CCSD transferred responsibility for all six of its county-run charter schools to the charter school authority, bringing another 5,550 students into the SPCSA fold.

The financial mechanism is straightforward: Nevada charter schools receive 100 percent of the per-pupil funding provided by the state. For the 2024-2025 school year, the base per-pupil funding amount is $9,414. Weighted funding is added for students who are English language learners, at-risk, gifted and talented, or require special education services, up to 13 percent of total enrollment.

Charter schools do not receive local property tax revenue for facilities. They are not eligible for bond funding that traditional public schools access for capital projects. According to Ballotpedia and the Nevada Legislative Counsel Bureau, charter schools must rely on private donations and federal grants for facility costs and start-up expenses. The 2025 Legislature allocated $17 million for charter school transportation — funding that remains insufficient, according to charter school administrators who told the Nevada Independent they still pay out-of-pocket for bus services.

Traditional public school districts, by contrast, receive both state per-pupil funding and revenue from local property taxes designated for facilities, debt service, and operations. CCSD’s 2024-2025 budget totaled $3.48 billion, with general operating revenues projected at $9,497 per pupil — slightly higher than the state base, due to additional local tax revenue and federal categorical grants.

When a student leaves CCSD for a charter school, the state per-pupil funding follows that student. CCSD loses the base allocation and any weighted funding tied to that child. In September 2025, CCSD reported that enrollment declined by an additional 3,600 students beyond spring projections, resulting in a funding loss of $34.2 million.

CCSD officials have publicly attributed part of the district’s budget strain to charter school growth. But the district’s challenges extend beyond enrollment loss. According to state data, CCSD recorded approximately 5,600 violent incidents in the 2024-2025 school year, down from 7,000 the prior year, with 739 involving weapons. Chronic absenteeism, overcrowded classrooms, and proficiency rates below state averages have all contributed to families seeking alternatives.

Charter schools, according to Nevada Department of Education report cards, outperformed traditional public schools on average at all grade levels in the 2024-2025 school year. Statewide reading rates among charter school students were nearly 12 percentage points higher than the public school average, according to an October 2025 Nevada Independent analysis. Charter schools are one of the only school groups that have seen literacy rates increase since 2018-2019.

But the demographic composition of charter schools does not mirror the broader public school population. According to a December 2022 Nevada Current analysis, white students make up 27.2 percent of Clark County charter school enrollment but only 20.6 percent of CCSD enrollment. Hispanic and Latino students make up 38.6 percent of charter school students statewide but 44.2 percent of public school students overall. Students with disabilities account for 9.8 percent of charter school enrollment but 12.8 percent of public school enrollment. Economically disadvantaged students represent 46.4 percent of charter enrollment but 80.6 percent of traditional public school enrollment statewide.

In response, the 2023 Legislature mandated that new charter schools use a needs assessment requiring them to focus on historically underserved populations. Eight new charter schools opened in 2022 under that mandate, enrolling just over 2,000 students. Their racial and ethnic demographics are more reflective of the population as a whole, according to the Nevada Current.

The political debate remains active. Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo pledged in 2023 to veto any education legislation that excluded charter schools from funding. In 2025, the Legislature approved $128 million in teacher raises for hard-to-fill positions, including charter school teachers — a reversal from 2023, when charter teachers were excluded from $250 million in salary increases allocated only to CCSD staff.

Families continue to vote with enrollment forms. As of December 2024, Henderson and North Las Vegas received state approval to become charter school authorizers — allowing them to open new charter schools outside SPCSA’s purview and avoid state guidelines that require charters to open in ZIP codes with underperforming traditional public schools.