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, January 10, 2023
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 Appointed Board Officers
Trustees voted Beth Smith as President of the Board of Trustees; Diane Nicolet as Vice President of the Board of Trustees; and Joe Rodriguez as Clerk of the Board of Trustees.
Trustees Approved the Consent Agenda
Consent agenda highlights include:
- Approval of the agreement between WCSD and the Association of Professional-Technical Administrators for a payment of an add-on differential for APTA employees returning for the 2022-2023 school year
- Approval of hiring retired individuals for areas where a critical labor shortage exists
- Approval of an amendment to a Memorandum of Agreement between WCSD and the Washoe Education Association providing additional compensation for unit members impacted by ongoing staffing shortages
Explore the consent agenda here.
Trustees Approved the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for FY 2021
Staff presented the audit results for FY 2021, which ended June 30, 2022. There were no corrected or uncorrected misstatements in this year’s audit, and no significant or adverse events that required the Board’s attention to complete the audit. No reportable findings were identified for the 2021-2022 fiscal year.
Total assets of the District (as of June 30, 2022) were $1.9 billion, and the General Fund summary balance at that time was $61.6 million, reflecting a total change of $3.3 million in the Fund Balance.
Explore the presentation and the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report.
Trustees Celebrated the Success of Lena Juniper Elementary School Students
Trustees heard updates from Lena Juniper Elementary School students and staff members. The school’s SBAC data reflected above average scores, and the school focuses on a sense of belonging and connection to students’ outside lives, interests, and feelings.
Explore the presentation.
Trustees Approved Modifying the Enrollment Boundaries of Several Schools
Trustees approved recommendations of the Zoning Advisory Committee to modify enrollment boundaries of Alice Smith Elementary School, Desert Heights Elementary School, Lemmon Valley Elementary School, and Stead Elementary School, effective at the start of the 2023-2024 school year.
Explore the presentation and the impacts of the rezoning efforts to these areas.
Trustees Discussed Programs and Initiatives Related to School Safety
Staff presented an overview of school safety measures from 2011- 2022, including public address systems upgrades, secure perimeters, CCTV systems, door hardware security upgrades, visitor management systems, school police support and maintenance, and single point of entries for elementary and middle schools.
Current initiatives in progress include BiDirectional Amplifier upgrades, emergency door numbering, radio and body camera upgrades, and other projects. The Safe and Healthy Schools Commission convenes 16 members with representation from students, families, emergency services, government agencies, medical/mental health professionals, and at-large community members.
Future initiatives include ongoing capital projects, facilities modernization, perimeters and SPE’s on high school campuses, firearm detection K9 services, continued joint training, safety presentations and trainings, and updating the Regional Active Assailant response plan.
Discussion included the student and community safety collaboration group, pursuing new technologies and best practices, family concerns, mental health, gun safety, traffic and bike safety, and the role of volunteer committees in school safety.
The Superintendent will take the ideas and feedback from Trustees for discussion and possible action at a future meeting.
Explore the presentation.
Student Representative’s Report
The Student Representative did not provide a report at this meeting.
Trustee Reports
Trustee reports highlights included:
- For new Trustees, setting up visits and onboarding meetings with representatives and schools in their districts
- Staff appreciation
- Various school visits and events
- Serving on Governor Lombardo’s education transition committee
- Commemorating National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day
- TMCC Nevada Promise scholarship program
Superintendent’s Report
The Superintendent’s report highlights included:
- The process for determining weather-related school delays and/or closures
- A slight delay with the District’s community-wide strategic planning process to be able to include the student survey due to be completed this month
- Thanking Trustees for their service during School Board Appreciation/Recognition Month
Public Comment
- Fiscal responsibility in the District
- Addressing education quality and school safety issues
- Student behavior and student and staff safety concerns
- Requested Trustee action items
- Student discipline support for teachers and staff
- Various teacher and staff difficulties regarding staffing, safety, and burnout
The next Meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for January 24, 2023, at 2:00 p.m.
