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.
Tuesday, July 25, 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 Approved the Consent Agenda
Consent agenda highlights include:
- Annual dues to the Nevada Association of School Boards
- Appointment of Nichole Loar to the Audit Committee
- Appointment of Annie Zucker to the Safe & Healthy Schools Commission
- FY 2022-2023 4th Quarter Report of Average Daily Attendance and Pupil-Teacher Ratios for Grades K-3
Explore the consent agenda here.
Trustees Discussed Community Engagement Activities by WCSD for the 2022-23 School Year
Highlights of the presentation included:
- District staff honored educators during Teacher Appreciation Week; hosted an annual Back to School Expo and other forums and clinics for students and families; promoted a new online tutoring service; launched an Instagram; and facilitated numerous ribbon-cutting events.
- The Superintendent has visited every school in the district; hosted staff and community chats; participated in home visits with educators, parents, families, and students; launched the WCSD Family Action and Special Education Family Action Committees; held numerous town halls; and built numerous partnerships.
- Trustees attended schools and community events to engage with families, students, and faculty; met with elected officials about schools; and advocated for education initiatives.
Explore the presentation.
Trustees Approved the Guaranteed Maximum Price 2 from Q & D Construction for the Management of Construction for Repurposing Hug High School into Debbie Smith Career and Technical Academy High School
Trustees approved the guaranteed maximum price from the construction manager at risk for the repurposing of Hug High School into Debbie Smith Career and Technical Academy High School in the amount of $97,606,379, and approved contingency in the amount of $5,987,402.
Explore the contract.
Trustees Approved the Draft Student Behavior Manual for the 2023-2024 School Year
The discussion included:
- A summary of activities by WCSD staff as of June 27, 2023 including facilitating meetings with associations, reviews of the manual by multiple administrators, and a briefing with the board trustees for briefings.
- An overview of next steps in August which will include disseminating the manual to schools for review and feedback as well as training on process and changes.
The final manual will be presented to the Board in September for consideration of final adoption.
Explore the presentation, draft manual, and summary of the changes between June 27 – July 25, 2023.
Trustees Approved the Proposed Sexuality, Health, and Responsibility Education (SHARE) 4th and 5th Grade Curricula, as Recommended by the SHARE Committee
The SHARE Committee, made up of nine members appointed by the Board of Trustees, proposed language revisions to the SHARE curriculum and that students be taught SHARE together rather than in separate classrooms by gender. Proposed 4th grade lessons will cover understanding the body, puberty, and friendships and consent. Proposed 5th grade lessons will cover puberty, communication and boundaries, personal safety, reproductive systems, and liking and loving. This is an opt-in program.
The reason for the proposed curriculum is that the current curriculum is more than 20 years old and does not adequately cover topics of healthy relationships, consent, setting boundaries, and sexual assault, and takes into consideration concerns from the community.
Members of the public in attendance shared comments on topics about the curriculum, language, and inclusivity.
Trustees discussed clarity and consistency of language, compliance with NAC and board policy, communication of changes and opt-in/opt-out process to parents/guardians, and updating content and videos for accuracy.
WCSD staff will further review all materials and return to the Board with additional recommendations for updates per Board feedback.
Public Comment
Public comment was heard on the following topics:
- Creating a safe place for students
- Governance training
The next Meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for August 8, at 2:00 p.m.
