By Jason Hidalgo, Reno Gazette-Journal

The hangover from Nevada’s budget crisis continues to impact the state’s education system, which still has a long way to go to fully prepare students for the jobs of the future, experts said in Reno on Thursday.

The event was the second town hall meeting held as part of the Reno 2020 project, a collaboration between the Reno Gazette-Journal and the University of Nevada, Reno’s Center for Regional Studies.

The second town hall, broadcast live on KNPB Channel 5, focused on education, one of several key areas identified by the project as a critical component in diversifying Nevada’s economy. Other needs include updating the state’s tax structure and diversifying its industries beyond gaming and tourism.

Education received a “C” grade from the Reno 2020 project, largely due to the lack of resources set aside for education programs. This includes the Knowledge Fund, which was created by the legislature to help boost research within Nevada’s higher education and research centers but was not allocated any funding.

“Certainly, we have a lot of progress to make so a ‘C’ (is fair),” said University of Nevada, Reno President Marc Johnson, a panelist for the event. “We’ve still got a lot of work to do to get a ‘B’ or an ‘A.’”

Johnson pointed out programs that were axed as a result of cuts to higher education, including the university’s highly rated logistics program.

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