The Ed-Watch series is designed to increase access to information on what decisions
are being made regarding public education in Clark County and Nevada.
What is the Board of Trustees & what are they responsible for? The Washoe County School District Board of Trustees are publicly elected decision-makers for the school district. They are responsible for providing oversight to the Superintendent and establishing District-wide policy. Trustees are accountable to work with their communities to improve student achievement.
Click here to learn more and see a list of current Trustees.
How often does the Board of Trustees meet? Trustees meet twice per month (second and fourth Tuesdays) at 2 pm both virtually and at the Central Administration Building Board Room, 425 E. 9th St., Reno, NV 89512.
Click here for a full list of Trustees meetings.
Can community members engage at Trustee meetings? Decision-making bodies benefit greatly from hearing public input and multiple perspectives. Currently, members of the public can submit comments on agenda and non-agenda items through email or voice recording. Public comment can be provided in person or via email. Email comments should be submitted to publiccomments@washoeschools.net.
Tuesday, August 23, 2022
Washoe County School District Board of Trustees Meeting
Click here to see the meeting agenda.
Watch the meeting playback.
What happened at this meeting?
Trustees Approved the Consent Agenda
Consent agenda highlights include:
- Alternative Schedule Application for most high schools in Washoe County
- Several board policies to update formatting, clarify language, and initiate 13-day public review and comment periods
- Approval of the purchase of student devices as part of the Information Technology Device Refresh Program
Item 2.13: Approval to Purchase Student Devices was pulled from the Consent Agenda for separate discussion and vote and passed on a separate vote.
Explore the consent agenda here.
Trustees Approved a Proposal for a Bill Draft Request for the 2023 Legislative Session
The District can submit one bill draft request (BDR) each legislative session, and the request for the 2023 Legislative Session is due to the Legislative Counsel Bureau by September 1, 2022. Staff proposed a BDR that focuses on modernizing educational statutes to allow for innovation and to strengthen system-level coherence and alignment across the education system. A core feature of the proposed BDR will be creating a long-term commission and work groups to study educational statutes and provide recommendations and areas of prioritization, as well as opportunities to streamline, modernize, and increase efficiency of statutes to serve students and schools. The proposed BDR will encompass four core tenets: innovation, system-level coherence and alignment, evidence-based interventions and outcomes, and reducing burden and streamlining work across the district.
Trustees Adopted Board Resolution 22-013, A 2022C School Improvement Bond Resolution
Trustees adopted a resolution that would authorize up to $40,000,000 in general obligation bonds for District capital projects, to be used to finance the FY2023 Capital Renewal Program. This program includes rehabilitation and repairs at schools, including flooring, signage, fire alarm systems, plumbing, repaving, and other projects. The funds are budgeted.
Explore the resolution and the Preliminary Official Statement.
Trustees Reviewed a Video from the First Day of School
Staff introduced a video highlighting different experiences from the first day of the 2022-2023 school year.
New Principals Were Introduced to the Trustees
Trustees were introduced to new principals in the District.
Trustees Approved the School Expansion Request of Coral Academy of Science
Trustees approved a request from Coral Academy of Science for a charter amendment to facilitate the school’s expansion at 1595 Sky Mountain Drive in Reno, as well as a purchase option agreement and form of bond purchase agreement. This approval followed several meetings between Coral Academy and the District to alleviate concerns about enrollment, facilities, and financial liabilities. Following these meetings, staff recommended approval of the charter amendment based on several conditions to be met by the Coral Academy of Science team.
View the presentation and the term sheet agreement.
Student Representative’s Report
The Student Representative’s report highlights included:
- First day of school activities
- Student Advisory Council to reconvene in September
Trustee Reports
Trustee district highlights included:
- Participating in several schools’ first day celebrations and activities
- Aviation Day coming up on September 24 for aviation industry careers
- A back-to-school expo welcoming hundreds of students and families for supplies and resources
- A teacher supply distribution event that welcomed 750 teachers
- Participating in the Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Governing Board
- Attending a community meeting of the African-American Clergy Council of Northern Nevada
Superintendent’s Report
The Superintendent’s report highlights included:
- Excitement around the first day of school
- Continuing to visit schools in the district as part of her entry plan
- Gratitude for the hard work the staff has done in ensuring a strong start of the school year
- Participation in upcoming meetings of the Student Advisory Council
- Upcoming sports season and new field dedication at Hug High School
- Reminder that the first town hall will be held August 30, at 5:30 p.m. at Reno High School
Public Comment
Members of the public shared comments on this item regarding:
- Student data collection tools
- Student test scores
The next Meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for September 13, 2022, at 2:00 p.m.
