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, August 13, 2024
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 hiring retired employees to address critical labor shortages for paraeducators, music teachers, special education teachers, speech language pathologists, and school psychologists
- Final approval of amendments to several board policies
- Several facilities items
Explore the consent agenda here.
Trustees Approved a Bill Draft Request for the 2025 Legislative Session
The District receives one Bill Draft Request (BDR) for the upcoming 2025 Legislative Session, and at a previous meeting, Trustees voted to advance a BDR addressing improving access to qualified personnel. BDR submissions are due no later than September 1.
District staff and contractors presented the “Excellence in Every Hire” Act, which would allow for provisional licensure of critical hires, including school social workers, nurses, etc.; establish a system of reciprocal licensure for instructional personnel; allow for easier mobility of K-8 to/from secondary certification; discount fees for sub-to-certified teachers; and create regulatory certainty for CTE certification.
Trustees voted to approved the Act as its BDR for the legislative session to amend NRS 391 related to improving access to qualified personnel for school districts in Nevada, and to submit to the Legislative Counsel Bureau for review and drafting.
Explore the presentation.
Trustees Recognized New School Principals for the 2024-25 School Year
Trustees celebrated new school principals for the 2024-2025 school year. New principals were welcomed to Westergard Elementary School, Alice Smith Elementary School, Corbett Elementary School, Maxwell Elementary School, Incline Village Elementary School, Billinghurst Middle School, Traner Middle School, Swope Middle School, Academy of Arts, Careers and Technology High School, and Reno High School.
Explore the presentation.
Trustees Approved a 1.30% Increase for Health Insurance Rates and an Increase for the Qualified High Deductible Health Plan for the 2025 Plan Year
Trustees approved the recommendation of the Group Insurance Committee of a 1.30% increase for health insurance premium rates and an increase to the Qualified High Deductible Health Plan individual deductible from $3,200 to $3,300 for the January 1, 2025 plan year.
Explore the presentation.
Trustees Approved the 2024/2025 ‘A’ Major Projects Funding for Several Schools
Trustees approved the 2024/2025 ‘A’ Major Projects Funding for several schools, including the design phase of the offsite reconstruction project of Stead Elementary School, the construction phase funding for the onsite reconstruction project at Echo Loder Elementary School, and the construction phase funding for Phase 3 of the Getto Transportation Yard rebuild. The total amount is $60,358,259, as recommended by the Capital Funding Protection Committee.
Explore the presentation.
Trustees Discussed Practices and Potential Efforts for Managing Personal Electronic Devices in Schools and Classrooms
Trustees discussed possible mitigating policies and procedures to manage personal electronic devices in schools and classrooms. There has been an increased use of cell phones by children in school nationwide, with potential negative impacts on student learning and teaching. Different approaches nationwide have included restricted uses, restrictions on different grade levels, restriction in certain areas of schools (such as classrooms, locker rooms, and bathrooms), etc. Concerns exist around cyberbullying incidents, mental health impacts, safety concerns, and special circumstances (such as students with Individualized Education Plans and students who use their personal devices for language and translation assistance).
Considerations include what similar districts are doing (CCSD with middle school and high school students placing their cell phones in non-locking, signal-blocking pouches), the Surgeon General’s call for social media to have warning labels for children, and Los Angeles’ school district’s ban of cell phones.
Trustees and staff discussed Reno High School’s pilot program, which took place during the second semester of the 2023-24 school year and was completed in collaboration with the staff culture committee, student leadership, booster club, and District leadership. The pilot program implemented a policy that stipulated no cell phones in classrooms, but permitted devices in passing periods. The pilot resulted in improved academic and social-emotional outcomes for students.
Trustees discussed the need for consistency, class time for confiscating phones, best practices, safety, potential liability of taking control of devices, costs incurred for phone pouches, and other concerns and ideas.
The plan of action for the 2024-25 school year includes the Safe and Healthy Schools Commission reviewing current District regulations on personal device use (AR 5810) to inform possible revisions; updating AR 5810 in Spring 2025, including communication with associations, staff, and a 13-day review period; working with the Board of Trustees to update existing or developing new board policy around personal electronic devices; and continuing to communicate with Student Advisory Council and other stakeholder groups.
Explore the presentation.
Student Representative Report
Report highlights included:
- The Student Voice retreat taking place next week, where student representatives will discuss their top three issues to champion for the school year
Trustee Reports
Report highlights included:
- Various back-to-school events and activities
- Congratulations local athletes who competed in the Paris Olympics
- Welcome events for new teachers and administrators
- Meetings with local elected officials
- Sharing “The Anxious Generation” as a book recommendation
- Attending various non-profit organization events and initiatives
Superintendent’s Report
Report highlights included:
- A busy back-to-school calendar
- Back-to-school events with new educators
- Addressing teacher vacancies, with fewer than 10 vacancies at the start of the school year
- Attending summer graduation ceremonies
- Gratitude to staff for their dedication to the community
Public Comment
- Concerns regarding a recent news article
- Electronic device policies and academic achievement
- Improving academic outcomes
- Addictive nature of cell phones and personal electronic devices
- Recognizing and introducing the Washoe Education Association’s board members
- Concerns regarding personal electronic devices in schools
The next Meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for August 27, 2024, at 2:00 p.m.
