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.
State Public Charter School Authority (SPCSA)
What is the SPCSA & what are they responsible for? Considered one of Nevada’s school districts, the SPCSA sponsors and oversees public charter schools. The Authority consists of seven appointed members responsible for overseeing educational and operational standards and holding sponsored schools accountable to the academic achievement of students.
How often does the SPCSA Board meet? The SPCSA typically meets once a month, generally on Fridays.
Click here for SPCSA meeting schedule and materials.
Can community members engage at SPCSA Board Meetings? While all meetings of the SPCSA are typically held publicly at the Nevada Department of Education building in Carson City and the Nevada Department of Education building in Las Vegas (1st floor boardroom), all meetings are now held virtually due to the COVID-19 crisis. Members of the public may view the meeting online via the link on the SPCSA’s Public Notice web page and the agenda and any supporting materials can be found here. Public comment may be given on any agenda item at the beginning of the meeting, or public comment regarding any matter that is SPCSA-related may be given at the conclusion of each Board meeting. Members of the community giving public comment can utilize the following conference call line: 1-312-584-2401; extension 3952176# with a time limit of three minutes per speaker. Alternatively, public comment may be submitted in writing to publiccomment@spcsa.nv.gov, and any such public comment received prior to the meeting will be provided to the Authority and included in the written minutes of the meeting.
Click here for a list of all SPCSA Members.
Click here for a list of all SPCSA sponsored schools.
Friday, March 3, 2023
State Public Charter School Authority Board Meeting
Access the meeting agenda and playback.
What happened at this meeting?
SPCSA Executive Director’s Report
- Legislative Update: SPCSA staff has met with legislative leadership, as well as Education committees. SPCSA overview and budget presentations have also been given. None of the bills being monitored by the SPCSA have been voted on yet. Explore more on the legislative update.
- Letters of Intent for New Charter Schools: Fourteen Letters of Intent have been submitted, and applications are due April 30. The training series on the application has been completed, and all trainings are available online. View the list of Letters of Intent for the 2023 Charter Application Cycle.
- Review of Recent Executive Orders: Executive Order 005 requires all school districts (including SPCSA) to submit third-party audits during the 2022 calendar year. This includes financial, performance, PERS, enrollment, and other evaluations. The materials have been submitted to the Governor’s office prior to the March 1 deadline.
Board Received an Update on Executive Order 2023-003
SPCSA staff provided an overview of Executive Order 2023-003, which requires all state agencies (including SPCSA) undertake a review of regulations subject to the state agency’s enforcement to determine how to streamline, clarify, reduce, or clarify those regulations. Ten regulations must be submitted to the Governor’s office for potential reduction. Charter school stakeholders participated in this process. Staff also noted that compared with other state agencies, the SPCSA has very few regulations.
Six SPCSA regulations have been identified to eliminate, including several where the regulatory authority granted by the regulation is duplicative. Two additional regulations have been identified to combine and simplify, and two have been provided to round out the requirement of ten regulations. Staff cautioned that the final two regulations are not advised to eliminate or reduce.
Board Received an Update on Schools Opening in Fall 2023
- Eagle Charter Schools of Nevada: Primary focus areas include student recruitment, hiring, and facility oversight. An office manager will be onboarded by April 1, and website and social media updates are underway. Professional development for the principal has also taken place. 400+ applications have been submitted so far. Explore the presentation.
- Pinecrest Academy Springs Campus: The land use application for the facility is complete, and the design team and contractor are working on facility plans. There are currently 175 students registered for grades K-3, with a waiting list formed for grades K and 3. The goal enrollment is 257 students. Several bilingual staff members have also been hired. Explore the presentation.
- Rooted School – Clark County: As of February 27, all conditions for pre-opening have been met. The school will collocate with Nevada Prep Academy for its first year. Info sessions for enrollment begin March 7, and enrollment opens on March 18. The Director of Operations has been hired, with several teaching positions and an office manager advertised. Explore the presentation.
- Southern Nevada Trades High School: A principal has been hired and began work March 1. The Sunrise Manor Town Council did not recommend approving the school, and a neighborhood meeting to address residential concerns about noise and traffic was held March 2. The school is on the agenda for the Clark County Commission meeting on March 8. There are 25 applicants, as of February 24. Explore the update.
Board Approved Several Charter School Contract Amendments
- Battle Born Academy: The Board conditionally approved the school’s request to relocate to a new facility for the 2023-24 school year. The permanent facility will be located at 2101 E. Owens Ave., North Las Vegas, NV 89030, which was previously occupied as a church. Explore the amendment application and the recommendation memo.
- Elko Institute for Academic Achievement: The Board approved the school’s Good Cause Exemption to reduce its enrollment cap for the 2022-23 school year. It also conditionally approved the deferral of occupying its permanent facility until January 2024 and occupying a temporary facility for Grades 5-8 in the fall of 2023. Explore the amendment application and the recommendation memo.
- TEACH Las Vegas: The Board approved the Good Cause Exemption to reduce the school’s enrollment caps for the 2022-24 school year, as well as well as subsequent years through the 2027-28 school year. It also approved delaying the school’s transportation plan implementation until the 2023-24 school year. Explore the amendment application and recommendation memo.
Board Heard the Financial Performance Review and Took Action on Recommendations for Schools
Thirty of 38 audits have been received and included. Schools receive seven formal ratings, one for each indicator within the Financial Performance Framework. The Board adopted the SPCSA Financial Performance Framework results presented for FY2022 for all indicators (except for the Enrollment Variance, which was not rated, and findings from Democracy Prep, which submitted additional information prior to the board meeting).
The Board rescinded the Notice of Concern for Quest Preparatory Academy, and maintained the Notice of Concern for Signature Preparatory, as the school is still working to resolve some financial concerns.
The Board issued Notices of Concern for Girls Empowerment Middle School and TEACH Las Vegas. Consideration of a Notice of Concern for Democracy Prep was moved to a later meeting. Each school will be required to submit a Financial Improvement Plan and provide quarterly updates on the plan’s implementation. Legacy Traditional Schools will also need to submit an updated Targeted Remediation Plan for FY2023 and FY2024.
Explore the ratings memo and the presentation.
Board Adopted the 2023 Growth Management Plan
Revisions to the Plan include:
- Identifying gaps in serving students who qualify for Free and Reduced Lunch, English learner students, and students who receive Special Education
- Updating the number of campuses under SPCSA sponsorship, current information, and practices
- Updating SPCSA performance data, compared with State and District data, as well as student demographic data
- Updating current educational models within the SPCSA
- New charter school expansions and new school openings, as well as potential future expansions and new schools
- Updating new proposed policies to support strategic goals
- Formalizing procedures for proven provider status
Review the plan.
Long-Range Calendar (next 3 months):
Agenda items over the next three SPCSA board meetings are anticipated to include:
- Charter school contract amendments
- Revolving loan application recommendations
- New schools update
- Legislative updates
- Charter school applications received
Explore the calendar.
The next Meeting of the SPCSA Board is scheduled for Friday, April 14, 2023, @ 9:00 a.m.
