Parents consider fleeing Nevada as state falls last in education

Nevada parents are considering moving to flee the state’s dismal education record. A new report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation this week placed Nevada dead last in education and 48th overall in the U.S.

Parent Jen Morris told KLAS-TV that Nevada was no longer the best place to raise their children. "We want our kids to be exposed to have the most opportunity and if school's not going to help us out with that, we have to possibly look elsewhere,” she said.

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The state’s record is dismal for students of all ages. A full 75 percent of fourth-graders were not proficient in reading last year and 71 percent of eighth graders were behind in math.

Nevada also topped the list of high school students who fail to graduate in four years, with 44 percent not finishing on time.

The state was one of the hardest hit by the recession with an unemployment rate nearing 12 percent. Clark County, home to Las Vegas, sent layoff notices to more than 400 teachers last month and eliminated more than 1,000 teaching positions next school year to balance its budget, reported the Las Vegas Sun.

"The idea of having to move for something like this does break my heart… but kids come first, Morris said.”