Nevada Directly Supporting Families of Students with Disabilities

Nevada used $5 million in stimulus funds to give grants directly to families with a student with disabilities to support their needs as they see fit. The Transforming Opportunities for Toddlers and Students (TOTS) Grant Program provided $5,000 grants, which were deposited in ABLE Nevada, a tax-free savings account and investment platform used by disabled adults in the state. Families could then save the funds or withdraw them for a range of eligible expenses, including transportation, assistive technology, and education. The grant program dispersed all 1,000 grants within three days.

We are spotlighting this because this is an innovative use of recovery funds that helps families with students with disabilities make decisions aligned to their most pressing needs.

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Reviewer Analysis

Learning Heroes

Who knows best what a child needs? Their family. This type of investment trusts parents to do what’s right for their kids, and that is a ticket to better partnerships between home and school. - Dr. Eyal Bergman

National Parents Union

Children with disabilities were chronically underserved during the pandemic and not only suffered from learning loss but also regression in skills. This is a good start in allowing parents and families to access the critical supports they need to address these critical concerns that were ignored or deemed “impossible” to address during the pandemic. This type of work should be EXPANDED. - Keri Rodrigues

EdAlllies

Direct support to families of students who have additional and unique costs to educating their child is a targeted and equitable way of using funding. Given the speed with which the fund was exhausted, it is likely that this demonstrates a persistent and urgent need for families that should be considered for establishing a permanent program in Nevada. - Matt Shaver

Southern Regional Education Board

This effort builds on a successful effort already in place - ABLE Nevada - and provides flexibility to address specific student needs.

The George W. Bush Presidential Center

It is smart practice to give spending autonomy to the families of students of disabilities so that they can make the decisions that best meet their needs.

Jocelyn Pickford

Offering a set of options to families in need is an important way to fill equity gaps exacerbated in the pandemic.

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About the Author

Chad Aldeman is a nationally recognized expert on education policy, including school finance; teacher preparation, evaluation, and compensation; and state standards, assessment, and accountability. Keep up with Chad on the EduProgess: Unpacked blog.