LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Nevada Board of Education is deciding whether to move forward with a dramatic plan that would shift the balance of power in the Clark County School District.

Board members are scheduled to vote Thursday whether to adopt what's called an "empowerment" model that would diminish the control of the central district office and give principals more autonomy over their budgets.

Nevada lawmakers started the process last year when they passed a bill that originally envisioned breaking up the nation's fifth largest school district into a handful of smaller units. The plan has evolved to call for each school to be its own "precinct" with a volunteer board.

Proponents say it will cut bureaucratic obstacles, while critics wonder whether it will treat richer and poorer schools equitably.