Tonia Holmes- Sutton, chair of the Nevada State Public Charter School Authority, faces Aaron Bautista, a Clark County School District special education teacher in a race for a seat on the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents.
The responsibilities of the Board of Regents include overseeing the Nevada System of Higher Education’s more than $2 billion budget, setting tuition prices, and hiring a chancellor and school presidents. They oversee four community colleges, two universities, one research institute, and one state college.
Currently, the board consists of 13 elected nonpartisan regents serving six-year terms. However, state lawmakers passed a bill last year that will reduce the board to nine regents serving four-year terms starting 2028.
Voters in District 4, which includes part of east Las Vegas and the City of North Las Vegas, can choose between Aaron Bautista, a Clark County School District special education teacher, and Tonia Holmes-Sutton, chair of the Nevada State Public Charter School Authority.
Both candidates vying for the position said they are not sold on Nevada’s ballot Question 1, which would remove from the Nevada State Constitution provisions that establish the Board of Regents as the governing body of NSHE.
If approved, the ballot question would give the state Legislature the ability to review and change the governing organization of public universities.
Bautista said he believes removing the Board of Regents would give the legislature too much say over the direction of higher education.
“I’m not for it,” said Bautista. “In Florida, they removed the Board of Regents and what ended up happening is that the Republican legislature got rid of some of the African American Studies classes because the Board of Regents wasn’t there. It prevents academic freedom, depending on who’s in office.”
Holmes-Sutton told the Nevada Faculty Alliance in April this year that she was against the proposed constitutional amendment. However, in an interview with the Nevada Current last week, Holmes-Sutton said she is currently “still processing” her position.
“I’m still making a decision myself as to what my position will be, ” Holmes-Sutton said. “I definitely believe that it is of importance to continue to research and engage with colleagues around the intentions and also opportunities that exist as the Legislature seeks to reform the Board of Regions governance.”
Holmes-Sutton noted that she wasn’t certain about Question 1’s chances of passing this election, after a similar ballot measure was narrowly defeated in 2020.
Affodability & accessibility
Bautista, who teaches at the Ellen Stewart Special School, received a bachelor’s degree in public administration from Nevada State College, and a master’s degree in special education from Grand Canyon University.
His campaign reported raising nearly $3,000 during the first six months of his campaign. In financial fillings, Bautista listed his party affiliation as the Democratic Party.
He’s been endorsed by a number of unions, including AFL-CIO, the Clark County Education Association, SEIU Nevada, Laborers Local 872, IBEW, and Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Service Technicians, Local 525. He was also endorsed by Hispanics in Politics and Make the Road Nevada Action.
Bautista said he would like to see NSHE address the state’s teacher shortage by establishing a state loan forgiveness program for educators working in the state, similar to programs offered in California and Alabama.
“In Nevada, where we have this big shortage, we don’t have programs like that at all,” Bautisa said.
Both candidates said they plan to approach their regent duties with college affordability and accessibility in mind, and emphasized the importance of college readiness to prepare students for the pressures of higher education.
Bautista advocated for reexamining enrollment requirements under the Nevada Promise Scholarship, which requires students to sign up for a minimum of 12 credits to qualify. Bautista said many students are too intimidated by the required course load to apply for the scholarship and give higher education a try.
Safety & equity
Holmes-Sutton advocated for expanding dual credit programs, which allow high school students to earn college credits while in high school. Not all students in Nevada have equal access to dual credit programs, especially rural students where less resources are available, she said.
Holmes-Sutton has a master’s and doctorate of education from UNLV.
In addition to chairing the state Charter School Board, she serves the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Board of Directors and the WestEd Board of Directors. She previously served on the Nevada State Board of Education.
She reported raising about $5,500 during the first six months of her campaign, and spending about $2,500. In financial fillings, Holmes-Sutton listed her party affiliation as nonpartisan.
Holmes-Sutton has received endorsements from a number of military-focused groups, including the Nevada Democratic Veterans and Military Families Caucus, and the Nevada Veterans Association. She also received endorsements from the Nevada Faculty Alliance and Ironworkers Local Union 416.
Both candidates said they would prioritize improving student safety and mental health services.
Holmes-Sutton recounted how she herself has faced gun violence at four distinct periods in her life. Her daughter also faced gun violence as a student at UNLV who was attending classes when the Dec. 6 shooting at UNLV took place.
“You cannot focus on learning and teaching if you are fearful for your safety,” Holmes-Sutton said. “Well being, safety, and mental health are intrinsically linked in such a way that we must attend to them in a comprehensive manner.”
Newly elected regents will have no shortage of issues to address, including dealing with the fallout of higher education budgets devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In December, the board voted to raise tuition and fees by 5% to help pay for 11% raises for NSHE professional employees.
Bautista said he believes equity should be top of mind when considering the budget and how best to allocate resources.
“When it comes to spending I’d like to look at equity. What institutions are at a disadvantage? Resources need to be distributed so students and faculty are not at a disadvantage when going to a certain university,” Bautista said. “We have to look at the budget and where it’s being spent and where it could be spent better.”
Holmes-Sutton said balancing funding needs and college affordability is one of the most significant responsibilities of the board, and requires expertise and research.
“We can examine how other states have addressed some of the challenges that they experience around funding. We can learn by way of research and experience from others to be able to inform the decisions that we make,” Holmes-Sutton said. “It’s important to engage in a way that is transparent and that seeks the expertise and experience of others in making the decisions that are best for our community.”