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AB 495

Revises provisions relating to charter schools. (BDR 34-757)

2025 Regular Session

Requires sponsors to terminate or restart a charter after 3 consecutive years of the lowest NSPF rating, with temporary relief through 2027 for near-threshold or improving schools.

(Pursuant to Joint Standing Rule No. 14.3.1, no further action allowed.)
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Bill Summary · AB 495

AB 495 — Summary (BDR 34‑757): Revisions to charter‑school closure rules

Status: Approved by Governor (Chapter 664, Statutes of 2025). Presented to Governor 9/23/2025; approved 10/12/2025.

Main purpose

AB 495 revises when a charter‑school sponsor must terminate a charter contract or “restart” a charter school after repeated low performance under Nevada’s statewide accountability system (NSPF). The bill creates a shorter lookback (consecutive years) for triggering termination but also adds temporary relief provisions allowing sponsors discretion to retain schools that show proximity to higher ratings or measurable year‑to‑year improvement.

Key provisions and changes

  • Termination trigger: Changes the statutory trigger so a sponsor must terminate or restart a charter if the charter receives the lowest annual rating in any 3 consecutive school years (amends NRS 388A.300). (Previously the law used a 3-in-5 standard.)
  • Removal of exclusion: Eliminates the prior rule barring the use of ratings from before the 2015–2016 school year for this determination.
  • Temporary exceptions (time‑limited relief): Until October 1, 2027, a sponsor is NOT required to terminate or restart a charter that otherwise meets the 3‑year trigger if either:
    • the school’s rating is within 5 points of the number of points required for the second‑lowest NSPF rating; or
    • the school’s rating is within 10 points of that threshold and the school increased its total index points by at least 50% from the immediately preceding year.
  • Procedural items retained/clarified:
    • If a sponsor terminates or restarts a charter, it must submit a written report to the Department of Education and the school’s governing body within 10 days explaining the decision.
    • The Department must adopt regulations governing procedures to restart a charter; restarted schools must prioritize reenrollment of previously enrolled pupils.
    • Sponsors may amend charter contracts to close specific campuses/grade spans (if only some meet the termination criteria and financial viability would remain).
  • Fiscal notes included in committee analyses reported “No effect” on state or local government.

Who is affected

  • Charter school sponsors (district sponsors and the State Public Charter School Authority)
  • Charter school operators and governing boards
  • Students and families attending affected charter schools
  • Nevada Department of Education (rulemaking, reporting oversight)
  • SPCSA and school districts in their oversight roles

Timeline and effective dates

  • The bill took effect upon passage and approval. The special non‑termination exceptions are temporary and expire by limitation on October 1, 2027.
  • Chaptered as Chapter 664, Statutes of 2025.

Potential impact and debate

  • Supporters argued AB 495 gives sponsors flexibility to keep schools that are narrowly below the next rating threshold or showing rapid improvement, and addresses measurement issues (especially for small schools) while accountability metrics are reviewed.
  • Opponents (e.g., NSEA) argued it weakens enforcement against persistently low‑performing charter schools and could leave students in underperforming schools longer.
  • The bill went through multiple amendments (point‑based language replacing “percent,” temporary expiration dates, and alternate proposals for an NSPF review committee appeared in earlier drafts).

Procedural notes

  • The bill was amended several times in Assembly and Senate committees; the enacted language reflects the reprints and amendments adopted during the 2025 session.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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