Read the Full Report | Read the Executive Summary

In one of the nation’s largest school districts, Clark County, Nevada, which includes Las Vegas, far too many students—especially particularly poor and minority students—lack access to a high-quality school. But recent improvements to the state’s charter policy create an opening for Clark County to use charter schools to transform educational options for all students, especially those who need them most. This report for Opportunity 180 shows why Clark County needs high-quality school options: A largely middling spectrum of school options tends to better serve students in wealthier neighborhoods, while poor and minority students in “quality school deserts” have fewer and poorer options. This report outlines what students and residents have to gain by improving school quality and lays out the steps policymakers and practitioners can take to overcome resource challenges that impede the growth of high-quality charters. As the report concludes, Clark County will need to create the will that drives ongoing commitment to change policies, then provide the resources needed to grow high-quality charter schools and transform education for all students.