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, October 11, 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:
- Approval of an interlocal agreement between the Washoe County School District (WCSD) and the City of Reno, Parks and Recreation Department, Sierra Kids after-school program
- Approval of Microsoft 365 A3 Volume Licensing three-year agreement
- Approval of a service agreement with Enome, Inc. to purchase Goalbook toolkits
Item 2.06 – Possible Action for the Board of Trustees to use the office of the general counsel to represent WCSD Board of Trustees for open meeting law purposes, was pulled for discussion and approved on a separate vote.
Explore the consent agenda here.
Trustees Received a Presentation on the Use of Pinyon Public Strategies for Strategic Consultation and Government Relations Services
Trustees received a presentation on the use of Pinyon Public Strategies, which will provide strategic consultations and government relations services to WCSD for the 2023 legislative session, working closely with the Office of General Counsel to monitor potential legal impacts of proposed legislation. This contract will be in place of a full-time staff member.
Explore the agreement.
Trustees Approved a Bid to Demolish and Abate Various Buildings at Debbie Smith Career and Technical Education Academy High School
Trustees approved the award of Bid #23-09-B-08-DA for the demolition and abatement of various building at Debbie Smith Career and Technical Education Academy High School to Integrated Demolition and Remediation Inc. for $7.6 million.
Explore the bid tabulation and contract.
Trustees Approved Forensic Analytical Consulting Services for Project Management and Oversight for Site Demolition and Abatement of Various Buildings at the Debbie Smith Career and Technical Academy High School
Trustees approved Forensic Analytical Consulting Services to provide environmental health consulting services, project management, and project oversight during the demolition and abatement activities impacting asbestos-containing materials and lead-containing paints as part of Debbie Smith CTE Academy High School, for $197,710.
Explore the agreement.
Trustees Heard an Update on the Creation of the New Position of Associate Chief of Teaching and Learning, Specialized Instruction
After several months meeting with students, families, and staff members, the Superintendent recommended spitting the current role of one of the Area Superintendents (Area 5 & Special Education) into two separate positions: Area Superintendent (Area 5) and a new position, Associate Chief of Teaching and Learning, Specialized Instruction, to provide more personalized, dedicated service to students, families, and schools. The creation of this position will be funded in FY 2022-2023 General Fund contingency account, and through the General Fund in future years.
A more comprehensive set of recommendations will be given to the Board in December.
Explore the Superintendent’s Entry Plan and the presentation.
Student Representative’s Report
The Student Representative’s report highlights included:
- The first Student Advisory meeting of the year, with recruitment underway for additional members
Trustee Reports
Trustee district highlights included:
- Several school visits, as well as specialty programs for adult learners
- Attending a conference relating to homelessness and children in transition
- A district school earning an Edward Murrow Award for student reporting
- Upcoming town halls with the superintendent and creating relationships with city officials and other community stakeholders
- Attending the NIAA annual meeting
- Attending meetings with teacher leaders
Superintendent’s Report
The Superintendent’s report highlights included:
- 40+ community, staff, and student meetings convening in the Superintendent’s first three months
- Diedrichsen Elementary School teacher Connie Hall being awarded the 2023 Nevada Teacher of the Year
- Full transportation services returning to the district
Public Comment
Members of the public shared comments on this item regarding:
- Accountability with student achievement
- Memberships in 501c6 advocacy organizations
- Student data collection
- Individual Education Programs
- Special education staff shortages
- School counselor caseloads
- Educator and support staff shortages
The next Meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for October 25, 2022, at 2:00 p.m.
