Why Cutting Student Support Now Will Cost Nevada Later

This op-ed was originally posted on Aug. 7, 2025, in the Las Vegas Sun.   

Before I became CEO of Communities In Schools of Nevada, I ran the largest corporate events company in one of the world’s most sought-after convention destinations — Las Vegas. I also served as president of Nevada Women’s Philanthropy, where I helped steward pooled donor resources toward high-impact investments in our community. 

I know a good investment when I see one, and I know how to run a business and deliver results. 

That’s why I’m writing today not just as a nonprofit leader, but as a businesswoman who understands how to use resources strategically — to benefit companies, communities and society. 

If I told you every dollar you invested could generate a $12 return, wouldn’t you want in? 

At Communities In Schools of Nevada, we’ve seen what’s possible when public and private sectors come together. With increased federal and state investment over the past several years, we’ve grown from serving 80 schools to nearly 120, a 50% increase. And even with that rapid expansion, we delivered the strongest outcomes in our history: a 97% graduation rate for students in our case-managed programs. It’s proof that public-private partnerships can scale effectively and solve some of society’s most complex challenges. 

Consider this: Nevada spends $26,500 per year to support a single unhoused person through emergency response, medical care and public safety services. Incarceration costs the state $27,246 annually per person. By comparison, we invest just $13,000 per student annually in public education. That gap tells a larger story: We pay far more to respond to a crisis than we do to prevent it. 

The numbers speak for themselves and so do the outcomes. At Communities In Schools, we see what happens when prevention is prioritized over crisis response: higher graduation rates, stronger communities and smarter use of public dollars. 

But that work is getting harder as schools face increasing demands and shrinking resources. Even when they do make the front page, federal cuts to programs like Medicaid, SNAP and Title I funding rarely get the attention they deserve, yet their consequences ripple through classrooms and communities every day. These aren’t abstract policy shifts — they determine whether a student has access to food, mental health care, housing stability and the kind of one-on-one support that keeps them connected to school. 

As a taxpayer, a donor and a nonprofit leader, I care deeply about how every dollar is spent, whether by government or nonprofits. But I’m here to tell you: Cutting funding that supports public-private partnerships won’t save us money. It will cost us more. These programs are the connective tissue between public systems and community-based solutions. When they’re weakened, we lose efficiency, effectiveness and the chance to prevent much costlier outcomes down the line. 

This challenge is even more acute in Nevada. One in 3 children here lives in a family that relies on public assistance — the third-highest rate in the nation. Yet Nevada is one of only nine states without a state or local income tax, which limits our ability to generate the revenue needed for robust social services. 

And while local philanthropy contributes in meaningful ways, our charitable giving as a share of gross domestic product — the total value of all goods, services and economic activity produced in the state each year — is five times lower than in peer regions with similar demographics and economic conditions. 

According to the 2023 Nevada Grant Lab Nonprofit Sector Analysis, to match the average proportion of economic activity among comparison cities, Las Vegas would need to increase nonprofit spending to $9.2 billion — more than five times current levels. 

In a state already working from behind, any additional loss of federal funding places our fragile safety net at real risk. 

And the consequences? They don’t always make headlines, but they hit hard. Students who drop out of high school are 3.5 times more likely to be incarcerated and 4.5 times more likely to experience homelessness. These outcomes aren’t inevitable. They reflect where and how we invest. 

At Communities In Schools, we focus on preventing those outcomes before they start. We place full-time site coordinators directly inside schools to identify barriers, case-manage students to improve their attendance, behavior and academics, and connect students and families with the resources they need to succeed. When students are supported, academically and personally, they graduate, go to college or work and contribute meaningfully to their communities. 

But Nevada is facing a triple bind. We have the third-highest rate in the nation of children living in families on public assistance. We have one of the most limited tax bases to meet those needs. And we’re five times behind peer regions in philanthropic giving relative to GDP. Add to that deep federal cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, and ongoing uncertainty around education grant funding, and our state and its residents are increasingly vulnerable. This isn’t just a funding gap — it’s a risk multiplier. And the longer we wait, the higher the cost. 

Yes, our work is values-driven, but it’s also data-driven and cost-effective. I can’t think of a smarter trifecta for taxpayer and philanthropic investment. Prevention isn’t charity — it’s strategy.