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.
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.
Washoe County School District Board of Trustees
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.
Thursday, November 22, 2022
Clark County School District Board of Trustees Meeting
Click here to see the meeting agenda.
Watch the meeting playback.
What happened at this meeting?
Trustees Reviewed the Applications Submitted to Fill the Vacant Position in District E and Selected Candidates to be Interviewed by the Board
District E trustee Angie Taylor won her Assembly race, and the application period to appoint a replacement to the position, per NRS 386.270, has closed. Several applications for this role have been submitted, and the Board heard several introductory remarks from candidates. After a ranked vote, the Trustees moved forward three candidates to be interviewed for the vacant role: Meghan Beyer, Kelly Crosby-Sturtz, and Alex Woodley.
Various public comments were heard on behalf of different candidates.
Review the applications and the applicant screening rubric.
Trustees Approved the Consent Agenda
Consent agenda highlights include:
- Acceptance of the budget transfer report and budget transfer summary
- Award of RFP for a strategic planning facilitator
- Interlocal Agreement between the City of Reno and WCSD for the 360 Blueprint Mentorship Program
Explore the consent agenda here.
Trustees Discussed and Provided Direction to Staff on the 2023 WCSD Legislative Platform for the 2023 Legislative Session
Staff presented the district’s proposed legislative platform, which includes:
- Advocating for sustainable, strategic funding, including competitive compensation, property tax reform, elimination of unfunded mandates, ensuring funds are used as intended, sustainable funding for vulnerable students, addressing the “Digital Divide,” and investment in high-quality instructional materials
- Personnel support, including removing barriers to licensure, development of scholarships, grants, and internships for potential educators, flexible licensing, multiple pathways for industry experts and administrative leaders, building an educator pathway model, and enhancing classroom safety
- Calling for a 10% across-the-board salary increase to educators, administrators, and support personnel
After discussion, staff will revise the platform to consider trustee feedback on exploring a 20% increase in pay; various funding formula topics, including double-weighting of students, funding to the ratio (not outside of the ratio), and funding amounts; and including human trafficking and traffic safety in safety plans.
Explore the 2023 Legislative Platform Draft and the presentation.
Trustees Discussed the Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Budget Process and Four-Year Financial Plan
Staff presented the FY 2024 budget process and four-year financial plan under the Pupil Centered Funding Plan. FY 22 state General Fund revenues exceeded budgeted revenues by $1.013 billion. Several policy decisions will be formed as the state builds the K-12 education budget, including adhering to the concepts of SB 542 (2019), what budget assumptions the state will use, and what the state will prioritize with revenue growth this biennium.
Staff cautioned that the budget process includes several unknown factors, including the legislative session, monitoring of state K-12 budget, development of critical needs, and adjustments to ESSER funding, as well as enrollment, inflation, labor costs, and the economy. Staff will closely monitor the legislative session and will hold off on major budget changes until the session ends but will address critical needs.
The four-year financial plan will be centered around the District’s General Fund budget and will reflect the long-term impact of known factors such as declining enrollment due to enrollment bubble, employee step increases, and fixed costs for new schools, as well as unknown factors such as per-pupil amounts based on State revenues, inflation, and economic scenarios.
Next steps include tracking the State Education Fund revenues and monitoring the Economic Forum, the Governor’s recommended budget, and the 2023 legislative session.
Explore the presentation.
Trustees Approved the 2022-2023 ‘A’ Major Projects Program in the Amount of $3 Million as Recommended by the Capital Funding Protection Committee
Staff presented and Trustees approved the design phase funding request for the Stonebrook Area Elementary School, in the amount of $3 million. This will help address existing overcrowding and growth. The request approves several architecture and engineering services, site surveying, cost estimating, plan review and permitting, and utility connection fees, among others. This phase will take place from November 2022 – July 2023, and then Trustees will decide if the project should bid and construct, or hold, based on enrollment.
Review the presentation and the list of projects.
Trustees Discussed Smarter Balanced Assessment Mathematics Data in Grades 3-8
Staff presented Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) results in mathematics in grades 3-8, as well as some high school data. Overall, no grade level (3-8) has returned to pre-pandemic levels in mathematics, while there was a slight uptick in performance over the previous year. District-wide, 34% of students perform at grade level. By student population groups, gaps in performance persist in African American (-21), Pacific Islander (-18), American Indian (-17), and Hispanic (-14) students, as well as students who are English learners (-25), students with IEPs (-22), and students who qualify for free and reduced lunch (-15). In high school, there was an increase in the percentage of algebra and geometry credits earned between 2020-2021 and 2021-2022.
Consistent with NAEP data, academic recovery in math is not happening as fast as it is with ELA overall. A state-to-state comparison of other states that utilize SBA was also presented, further demonstrating consistency with academic recovery trends.
Next steps include alignment for quality instruction, school performance plans focusing on reducing academic disparities and opportunity gaps, vetting high-quality curriculum and instructional materials, and building foundations for fair and consistent grading practices.
Explore the presentation.
Student Representative’s Report
The Student Representative was not present for a report.
Trustee Reports
Trustee district highlights included:
- Recognizing schools for several achievements, including Purple Star School status, athletic achievements, and recent educator honors
- School visits
- Gratitude for schools, students, and staff
- Thank you to former Board president Angie Taylor
Superintendent’s Report
The Superintendent’s report highlights included:
- Thanking an exiting leadership team member, as well as board members, students, staff, and families
- Thanking former Board president Angie Taylor
The next Meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for December 13, at 5:00 p.m.
