The Department shall:

1. Develop policies and procedures for:

(a) Monitoring the plan of each school district to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio per class developed pursuant to NRS 388.720, which must include, without limitation, provisions for:

(1) The review of each plan submitted to the State Board to ensure the adequacy of such plans; and

(2) The review of any data submitted to the State Board pursuant to NRS 388.710.

(b) Monitoring the quarterly reports concerning the average daily enrollment of pupils and the pupil-teacher ratios in each school district submitted by the board of trustees of the school district pursuant to NRS 388.725 to ensure the completeness and accuracy of such reports.

(c) The review of any requests for a variance submitted to the State Board pursuant to NRS 388.700, which must include, without limitation, provisions to verify the information in such requests to ensure the accuracy of the reports on variances submitted by the State Board to the Legislature pursuant to that section.

(d) The distribution of money to each school district for the reduction of pupil-teacher ratios, which must include, without limitation, provisions for:

(1) The retention of all documents and records related to the distribution; and

(2) The review of the work performed to determine the distribution of such money to ensure the accuracy of supporting information and the calculations used in making such determinations.

2. Provide guidance to the school districts on:

(a) The development of a plan to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio per class pursuant to NRS 388.720. In developing such guidance, the Department shall:

(1) Outline the criteria that each plan must include to meet the requirements of NRS 388.720.

(2) Provide examples of policies, plans or strategies adopted by other states to reduce class sizes.

(b) The requirements for reporting information related to the reduction of pupil-teacher ratios.

(c) The data that must be monitored pursuant to NRS 388.710 by each school district and used to measure the effectiveness of the implementation of any plan to reduce pupil-teacher ratios.

3. Communicate with the board of trustees of each school district regarding the expectations of the Department for the use of any money distributed to reduce pupil-teacher ratios in the school district, including, without limitation, the minimum number of teachers the school district is expected to employ.

(Added to NRS by 2015, 3060; A 2019, 791)