Due to a drop in tourism and the crash of the real estate market, Nevada has been trying to cut its budget by 1.2 billion dollars. Several of the budget cuts effect the state’s education funds. All state universities were asked to cut their budgets by four percent, and now may be asked to cut their budgets by a further fourteen percent. Over a hundred employees have been laid off so far, with more expected. Needless to say, presidents of the universities were upset about the cuts.

The Nevada State Legislator also passed a bill that spared teacher’s cost of living expense raise, but cut textbook funding for ages kindergarten through high school. These text book cuts will save the state $47 million dollars by skipping the purchase of new text books next year. The lawmakers cut $275 million dollars in total.

For a state whose students score notoriously low on national assessment tests it seems ridiculous to cut budgets in education. Students in Nevada need better educations not worse ones. The Nevada State Legislator should have cut the budgets of state run agencies and not the schools. It’s a slap in the face to the students of this state.