The Nevada Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling that a statutory ballot initiative aimed at creating a voucher-style education program could not proceed.

The order, signed by all judges and filed Monday, appears to be the final chapter in this legal battle that began in late January. submitted both statutory and constitutional initiatives to

The two initiatives sought to create an “Education Freedom Account” that would allow parents to access state funds to pay for educational settings and services outside the public school system.

The effort was quickly repulsed by opponents who saw it as another scheme to keep taxpayer money away from public schools. Beverly Rogers and Rory Reed of the Rogers Foundation for Arts and Education filed a lawsuit within weeks to stop the initiative.

By April, a Carson City senior judge had ruled against the initiative, saying it could create a large unfunded order. appealed to

The Nevada Supreme Court had previously ruled on constitutional initiatives, concurring with lower court rulings. This order, which addresses statutory initiatives, reaches the same conclusion.

“The petition creates a program for Educational Freedom Accounts that requires budgets and expenditures for the program to exist,” the approval order states. “However, the petition does not contain any provision for funding. We are not allowed to propose laws.”

Education advocates hailed the Nevada Supreme Court ruling as another defeat for so-called education savings accounts. In 2015, parliament passed and a government was formed. Brian Sandoval signed into law for an education savings account program, but after a legal challenge he never received the funds. In that case, the Nevada Supreme Court ruled that while the premise was constitutional, it was not a funding mechanism.

“This is the nail in the coffin of these ballot initiative efforts,” Rogers said in a statement Monday. We know that we will never stop trying to siphon taxes from public schools for private schools. Public schools are worth protecting because they serve all students and are accountable to the people. there is.”

Erin Phillips is co-founder and president of advocacy group Power2Parent and chair of Nevada PAC’s Education Freedom. In her statement released Monday night, Phillips said the court appears only interested in protecting a “status quo policy” for education.

“I am disappointed with the court’s ruling today and that the incoherent ruling written by Justice McGeege was upheld by these judges,” Phillips wrote. “Parent alienation strikes again as one of the most confusing decisions that strips families of their right to direct their children’s education.”

This article was updated on September 12, 2022 at 7:02 PM with an answer from Erin Phillips.