LAS VEGAS (AP) - A group of Nevada lawmakers has recommended replacing a 45-year-old K-12 school funding formula with a new one that provides more money for low-income students and English learners.

A legislative committee approved that general principle during a meeting Tuesday, although specifics haven't been described. The plan will be forwarded to the Legislature.

The new strategy would likely mean more money for Clark County, which includes most of the state's English learners and low-income students.

An American Institutes for Research consultant hired to study the issue told the committee that poorer students cost twice as much to educate as the average student, while English learners cost about a third more.

State funding is expected to remain flat. The consultant recommended gradually shifting more money from rural counties to Clark County.

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