Schools Over Stadiums: How Nevada Chose a Billionaire Over Its 48th-Ranked Education System
Nevada ranks 48th in per-pupil education funding. It has the largest class sizes and highest teacher vacancy rates in America. Lawmakers found $380 million for John Fisher's stadium in 9 days.
Nevada ranks 48th nationally in per-pupil education funding. It has the largest class sizes in America and the highest educator vacancy rates in the country. When billionaire John Fisher wanted a stadium, lawmakers found $380 million in nine days.
The Teachers' Fight
The Nevada State Education Association led the most organized stadium opposition in state history, forming the "Schools Over Stadiums" PAC. Their message was simple: every dollar spent on stadiums is a dollar not spent on education.
NSEA President Dawn Etcheverry, a Washoe County music teacher, put it bluntly:
"Every dollar we spend building stadiums is a dollar we aren't using for public education. Nevada's priorities are misguided, and public funds should not go to a California billionaire for a stadium."
What $180 Million Could Buy
The $180 million in transferable tax credits directly reduces Nevada's general fund—the same fund that finances K-12 education, the university system, Medicaid, and basic state services.
That money could alternatively fund:
- 1,800 teacher salaries for a full year at Nevada's $100,000 average compensation
- Significant reduction in class sizes across Clark County schools
- Construction or renovation of multiple school facilities
- Enhanced special education services and support staff
- Summer school programs that lawmakers had recently vetoed due to cost
The Property Tax Exemption
The stadium receives a 30-year property tax exemption worth $55-184 million (estimates vary). Property taxes are a primary funding source for Clark County schools.
For three decades, the stadium site will generate zero property tax revenue for:
- School construction bonds
- Police in school zones
- County education programs
- Library and community services
The TIF District's Hidden Cost
Senator Dina Neal identified "at least 17 different tax streams" captured by the stadium's Tax Increment Financing district. For 30 years, these revenues service stadium debt instead of funding schools and services.
Every ticket sold, every beer purchased, every parking fee collected generates tax revenue that would normally flow to schools. Instead, it pays John Fisher's stadium bonds.
The Legal Fight
Schools Over Stadiums didn't give up after the legislative vote. They filed a ballot referendum petition seeking to let voters decide whether to repeal the stadium funding.
They needed 102,586 signatures. But a district court judge blocked the petition, ruling the 200-word description was "misleading"—though the ruling created an impossible standard by requiring the description to somehow encompass a 66-page bill.
The Nevada Supreme Court rejected their appeal 5-1-1 in May 2024. A second lawsuit challenging the bill's constitutionality was dismissed in 2025.
Voters never got to decide.
The Labor Split
The opposition was undermined by a crucial split within organized labor. While the Nevada State Education Association fought the deal, the Clark County Education Association—representing 18,000 teachers—refused to join.
CCEA Executive Director John Vellardita called NSEA an "irrelevant organization" and argued blocking the stadium "wouldn't take a single dime away from teachers or students."
This reflected competing worker interests: teachers wanting education funding versus construction workers wanting stadium jobs. The Culinary Union's 60,000 members backed the deal after the A's agreed to let stadium employees unionize.
John Fisher's Billions
The man receiving $380+ million in public funding is John Fisher, heir to the Gap clothing fortune, with a net worth of approximately $2.5 billion.
U.S. Bank verified the Fisher family has "assets more than sufficient" to finance the project privately. They chose not to.
Fisher bought the A's for approximately $180 million in 2005. The team is now valued around $1.2 billion. A new stadium could push that to $1.8-2.2 billion.
Taxpayers who subsidized $435 million of construction receive exactly zero dollars of that appreciation.
The Choice Nevada Made
In nine days, Nevada found $380 million for a billionaire's stadium.
Meanwhile:
- Class sizes remain the largest in America
- Teacher vacancies remain the highest in the country
- Per-pupil funding remains 48th nationally
- Summer school programs remain vetoed "due to cost"
Priorities.