Las Vegas City Wire

Karla de Leon, a student at Utah Tech University, credits Nevada’s tax credit scholarship program for aiding her transition from public to private school, where she found better support for her academic and personal development. De Leon expressed these views in an op-ed published on April 10.

"Really, this should not be about politics at all," said de Leon. "That decision changed my life. Providing these opportunities meant everything to my parents. My experience, combined with my parents' hard work, is why I support school choice."

Nevada's school choice policy is currently a contentious issue. Governor Joe Lombardo is advocating for the expansion of Opportunity Scholarships aimed at assisting low- and middle-income students to access private education. However, according to The Nevada Independent, the Democrat-led Legislature has stalled many of these proposals due to concerns about public school funding. Public sentiment shows frustration with the state's academic performance, as only 26% of students achieved proficiency benchmarks on recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) assessments.

Support for school choice is notably high among Hispanic voters in Nevada. A 2024 Freedom Coalition for Charter Schools poll indicates a strong preference for expanded educational options across battleground states. Although specific figures for Nevada were not isolated, Hispanic voters emerged as one of the most supportive demographics. UnidosUS reported that 36% of Nevada’s Latino electorate are new voters since 2016, highlighting their growing influence on education policy.

The Opportunity Scholarship program in Nevada mandates that participating students take nationally norm-referenced assessments; however, comparative performance data remains scarce. The most recent report from the Nevada Department of Education (2019–2020) lacks comprehensive analysis comparing scholarship recipients with their public school counterparts, complicating efforts to assess the program's effectiveness relative to traditional schools.

De Leon is also noted as the Senior Director of Education at DAHLIN Architecture | Planning | Interiors, with over two decades of experience in school facilities design and planning. A graduate of California State Polytechnic University–Pomona, she has led significant projects across California and the West through roles at HPI Architecture, PBK, and WLC Architects. According to the American Federation for Children, de Leon attributes her opportunity to attend a more suitable private school to Nevada’s Opportunity Scholarship program and continues to advocate for educational equity.