Tag: legislative updates

Nevada Ed-Watch: 12/15/22

Posted on by Opportunity 180

The Ed-Watch series is designed to increase access to information on decisions being made regarding public education in Clark County and Nevada.

Nevada State Board of Education

What is the State Board of Education & what are they responsible for? The Nevada State Board of Education adopts regulations based on Nevada laws, which are passed down to individual school districts in Nevada to implement. The Board has 11 total (7 appointed and 4 publicly elected) members.

How often does the State Board meet? The Nevada State Board of Education meets once per month on Thursdays at 9:00 AM or 2:00 PM. Click here to see the 2022 Board Meeting Schedule. Click here to visit Hope For Nevada’s #NVEd Calendar.

Can community members engage at State Board Meetings? A time for public comment is provided at the beginning (for agenda items) and at the conclusion (on any matter) of each Board meeting. Members of the public may provide public comment in writing via email; public comment will be accepted via email for the duration of the meeting and shared with the State Board of Education during the public comment periods. Public comment may be emailed to NVBoardED@doe.nv.gov.

Click here for a list of all State Board Members.

Thursday, December 15, 2022

Nevada State Board of Education Meeting

Click here to see the regular SBOE meeting agenda.

Click here to watch the meeting playback.

What happened at the regular meeting?

Public Comment #1

Public comment was heard on the following subjects: 

  • Exempting speech language pathologists from certain competency testing
  • Legislative priorities for the Board
  • Alternate pathways to teacher licensure
  • Nevada’s ranking in the Education Law Center’s “Making the Grade” report
  • Teacher pay and recruitment
  • Disproportionate opportunities for students of color
  • High school start times
  • Operational effectiveness in school districts

President’s Report

Highlights included:

  • Five schools were recognized as Purple Star schools for their support to military families.
  • With the election of Governor-Elect Lombardo, there may be some shifts within the Board of Education.
  • There is a budget surplus, which several members of the board and external partners, including legislators, are working on to benefit education in Nevada.
  • The UNLV College of Education Alumni of the Year was Superintendent Jhone Ebert.
  • NSHE Board of Regents approved new programs at UNLV, including two new Master’s programs for educators. New anti-bias and anti-discrimination regulations were also passed. Regents also approved the renewal of the MGM employer-sponsored higher education program. New board officer positions within NSHE have also been announced.

Superintendent’s Report

  • Several school and district visits have taken place in Elko, Lander, Humboldt, Pershing, and Lyon Counties, and Owyhee Combined School.
  • Megan Peterson is the new Deputy Superintendent for Student Investment.
  • 1,458 responses have been submitted to the college and career readiness assessment survey.

Board Approved Consent Agenda 

Consent agenda items included:

Explore the consent agenda items.

Board Discussed Possibly Implementing Later Start Times for High School

The Board discussed potentially implementing later start times for high school students. Benefits of later start times include better mental and physical health, improved academic outcomes, reduced risk of car accidents and injuries, and less tardiness.

Board and several superintendents in attendance discussed the need for additional stakeholder input on needs, cost and availability of transportation, student wellness, and piloting the program. The state will gather feedback on this topic to make a decision at a later date.

Explore the benefits document.

Board Approved a Position Statement for the 2023 Legislative Session

The Board approved its position statement on additional funding from the 2023 legislative session, to get student funding to an optimal level. The three large areas of priority identified by the state in this position statement are educator recruitment, training, retention, and support; Pre-K programs; and infrastructure (both physical and technological). After discussion, additional language was provided on competency-based learning and workforce development goals.

Explore the position statement.

Board Discussed Goals and Benchmarks of the State for Improving Student Achievement

Representatives of the Nevada Association of School Superintendents (NASS) presented a summary of the most recent math and ELA outcomes, graduation rates, and CTE outcomes, and potential alternate metrics for student achievement, including student-led conferences, student goals, service activities, and extra- and co-curricular activities. NASS representatives detailed the iNVest priorities for the 2023 legislature:

  • Funding districts and schools to hire and retain high-quality staff in a competitive labor market, including increasing salaries, new pathways to the education profession, leadership pathways, standardized curriculum and professional development for teachers, and improved working conditions (Estimated cost: $1.7 billion)
  • Increasing equitable education opportunities, including fully funding student weights, expanded CTE, STEM/STEAM, and other innovative programs, and 1:1 connectivity and access to WiFi (Estimated cost: $976 million)
  • Improving needed supports for students and families, including addressing mental health needs, family empowerment programs, and extra- or co-curricular activities (Estimated cost: $1 billion)

NASS representatives asked the Board to adopt the iNVest platform at its next meeting.

Washoe County School District reported that they have adopted their legislative platform in alignment with iNVest priorities and the State’s position statement, and the district will be embarking on a strategic planning process in 2023. There is a need for greater systemic coherence and modernizing statues and regulations and policies.

Nevada Association of School Boards reported that their annual conference welcomed 130+ attendees, and that the organization is expanding its training and tracking programs, and rebuilding its website. The representative also spoke about the need for enhanced collaboration and the need to focus on student outcomes.

Nye County School District reported that resources and funding levels, as well as state support for school performance plans, are challenges for the District, as well as adequate staffing for teachers and support staff.

Explore the presentation, appendix, and iNVest platform document.

Board Deferred a Presentation on Developmentally Appropriate Kindergarten Policy

This item will be heard at the January board meeting.

Future Agenda Items

The board reviewed the following items for inclusion in the 2023 calendar:

  • Graduation rates presentation
  • Silver State Governance Training
  • Board evaluations
  • Board meeting start times
  • Priority bills for the 2023 Legislature
  • High school start times workshop

Public Comment #2

Public comment was heard on the following subjects:

  • Disproportionality among students in discipline and student progress
  • Pay rates for support employees
  • Public comment periods at Clark County School District meetings
  • District accountability

The next Board of Education meeting is scheduled at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 12, 2022.


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Nevada Ed-Watch: 3/24/2022

Posted on by Opportunity 180

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.

Clark County School District Board of Trustees 

What is the Board of Trustees & what are they responsible for? The CCSD 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
Click here to find your Trustee District

How often does the Board of Trustees meet? Trustees meet twice per month (second and fourth Thursdays) at 5 pm both virtually and at the Edward A. Greer Education Center Board Room (2832 E Flamingo Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89121).

Click here for a full list of Trustees meetings and agendas
Click here to visit Hope For Nevada’s #NVEd Calendar

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, via email, or via voice recording. Email comments should be submitted to Boardmtgcomments@nv.ccsd.net. To submit a voice recording on items listed on the meeting agenda, call 702-799-1166. Voice recorded public comment is limited to 1 minute 30 seconds.

Thursday, March 24, 2022

Clark County School District Board of Trustees Meeting

Click here to see the meeting agenda.
Watch the meeting playback on Facebook or CCSD EduVision.

What happened at this meeting?

Public Comment #1 on Non-Agenda Items

Members of the public shared comments regarding: 

  • Student safety 
  • Recent incidents of violence 
  • Student social-emotional well-being
  • Staffing shortages
  • Zone variances and Change of School Assignment (COSA) policies
  • Mental health of students and staff
  • Procedures relating to dispensing medication in schools 
  • Grading reform procedures implemented 

Explore written public comment.

Trustees Approved the Consent Agenda (6-0)

Consent Agenda Highlights:

Members of the public provided comments on Memorandum of Understanding between CCSD and the Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools Program, Memorandum of Understanding between CCSD and 10,000 Kids, Inc., an agreement between CCSD and Nye County School District, unified personnel employment, licensed personnel employment, and District Policy 1101.

Trustees Received an Update on Focus: 2024 Strategic Plan – Winter MAP Growth Data

District staff provided an update on the Focus: 2024 plan on Winter MAP growth. MAP is a standardized interim assessment system, used as a formative tool to guide instruction, monitor student progress, and align professional learning opportunities for educators. MAP assessments are given in English language arts and mathematics, and growth is reported for Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, and Grades 9-12. Winter MAP assessments took place in November and December 2021. Staff noted that the 2020-2021 MAP assessment (from the 2020-2021 school year) was administered remotely, and had a lower participation rate. Some challenges regarding participation persisted in this year’s MAP assessment.

Staff also referenced a NWEA study on achievement and growth, the link to which can be found here. Two key findings were referenced: the fall 2021 math and reading levels are behind historical averages, and historically marginalized students and high-poverty schools continue to be the most impacted. The CCSD results align with these findings.

Explore the presentation and results from English language arts and mathematics assessments.

Trustees Approved the 2021-2023 Negotiated Agreement between the Clark County School District and the Clark County Education Association (5-1-0)

Staff held a public hearing regarding the agreement between the District and the Clark County Education Association, with no public comment. Staff then gave an overview of the Agreement, which has been extended to June 30, 2023. The Agreement extends most of the previous contract terms and reflects various changes to the agreement mostly as set forth in several Memoranda of Understanding that have been entered into by the District and CCEA. The overall fiscal impact of the two-year Agreement is $3.2 billion.

There was one abstention among the Trustees.

Explore the fiscal impacts summary and the agreement.

Trustees Approved the Memorandum of Agreement between the Clark County School District and the Clark County Education Association for Relocation Bonus (6-0)

Staff held a public hearing regarding this Agreement. Following the hearing, staff gave an overview of a proposed relocation bonus for certain new hires to attract new teachers to the District. The relocation bonus was proposed at $4,000 per applicable employee with a three-year commitment. The fiscal impact of the Agreement is $3.07 million.

Explore the fiscal impacts summary and the agreement.

Trustees Opened Sealed Bids and Called for Oral Bids and Adopted a Resolution of Acceptance of Bid for Property Site #172 – Arden Yard (6-0)

The District received three sealed bids for the sale of the Arden Yard property located in Southwest Las Vegas. The Board opened the sealed bids, then called for oral bids (which had to exceed the highest written bid by five percent).

US Express Carriers obtained the highest bid, both from written bids and oral bids that followed, at $1.9 million.

Explore the resolution here.

Trustees Approved a Notice of Intent to Adopt, Repeal, or Amend Clark County School District Regulation 4393 – Accelerated Pathways for Educator and School Psychology Candidates to Complete Student Teaching and Internship Requirements for Licensure (6-0)

Staff gave an overview of a notice of intent for Regulation 4393 (in alignment with SB 352 from the 2021 Legislature) in an effort to remove barriers to CCSD paraprofessionals becoming licensed educators. Under these proposed regulations, current CCSD paraprofessional employees who are enrolled in an educator preparation program will be able to complete an accelerated program of student teaching. Further, current CCSD employees serving as psychological services assistants would be able to simultaneously complete their internships in school psychology.

This item will be submitted for approval at the Thursday, April 21, 2022, Board of Trustees meeting. 

Explore the regulation language here.

Public Comment #2 on Non-Agenda Items

Members of the public shared comments on this item regarding: 

  • Teacher commitment
  • Communications regarding facilities of Global Community High School
  • Bus transportation safety and behavior
  • Early childhood education
  • School safety and mental health resources
  • Curriculum relating to the U.S. Constitution
  • Violence in schools and violence prevention services

Explore more about the meeting from the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The next Meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for April 7, 2022 @ 5pm. 

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Nevada Ed-Watch 1/28/2022

Posted on by Opportunity 180

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 one 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, January 28, 2022
State Public Charter School Authority Special Board Meeting
Access the meeting agenda and playback.

What happened at this meeting? 

Public Comment

Members of the public shared comments regarding:

  • Inquiries about why Argent Preparatory Academy (formerly Silverstate Charter School) was closed, the impact of the school closure on students and families, how funds for the sale of the school building will be utilized, and severance pay for the school’s staff.
  • Concerns about delayed grant reimbursements that are still pending from last Spring and how this impacts the financial performance framework standing of schools.
  • Support for the opening of Pioneer Technology & Arts Academy Nevada and the benefit of its STEM, workforce preparedness, and college readiness programs for students.

Find written public comment here and here.

Executive Director’s Report

  • Initiatives Related to Serving All Students Equitably –
    • SPCSA has prepared enrollment comparison reports for each school. The reports are expected to be sent out early February. In the last two years, SPCSA has provided each school with a report of their demographics compared to the District and neighborhood schools. SPCSA staff is planning to bring a proposal to the board to require schools with significant disparities in their demographics to develop a recruitment and enrollment plan to better serve a representative population. More information will be shared in March. 
    • SPCSA conducted a training for schools on lotteries, including enrollment preferences and weighted lotteries, in an effort to ensure schools are serving their local communities.  Staff will provide an overview of the meeting in February.
  • COVID-19 update – Most SPCSA-sponsored schools have remained fully open and in person. Some schools had transitioned to virtual for a short period of time but were successfully able to return to in person learning. Changes across schools due to updated COVID guidance by the Nevada Department of Health & Human Services include reduced quarantine periods and guidelines for schools to introduce a ‘test to stay’ strategy if they have sufficient capacity to manage that approach.

  • Legislative Update –
    • On February 3, SPCSA will present information to the Interim Finance Committee regarding emergency funds that have been allocated to the SPCSA. The SPCSA will also submit two semi-annual reports regarding two new positions that were allocated during the 2021 Legislative session for the site evaluation team. 
    • SPCSA is expected to be invited to meet with the Legislative Committee on Education on the 3rd Wednesday morning of each month now through August to discuss a range of topics. The meetings also generally include updates from the Nevada Department of Education, Nevada Association of School Superintendents, and the SPCSA.
    • As of December 15, 2021, SPCSA had to submit a report regarding the evaluation of governing bodies of EMOs along with the actions taken by the authority of schools that received 1-2 star ratings.
  • Update regarding Regulation R043-21 – As of December 21, 2021, SPCSA will facilitate one application cycle per year instead of two. Applications are due April 30 with letters of intent due on January 30. Staff committed to touching base with all the applicants and notified them that all the letters of intent will automatically carry to the April cycle. SPCSA will provide an update next month on the number of letters of intent submitted.

  • Argent Preparatory Academy update – School closure was initiated in 2016 because of academic and financial reasons. The building was sold in 2018 and Joshua Kerns was named as receiver. SPCSA will expect full accounting and settling of the affairs of the school and its ‘wind-down’ by the end of the month. Settling of the affairs includes the severances that are still unpaid. The closing report delivered by Joshua Kerns will occur at the March meeting. 

Board Heard Update Regarding Charter School Contract Amendment Applications

  • Eagle Charter Schools of Nevada – The 2021 opening of Eagle Nevada has been deferred. With the current address, the necessary construction will not be completed by June. There is a condition that the lease will need to be executed by May 1. Additionally, Eagle will open with an enrollment cap of 540 students in its first year rather than 640 students.

Explore the Eagle Nevada recommendation memo.

  • Elko Institute for Academic Achievement – Elko Institute is seeing steady increase with its enrollment and is currently housed in a warehouse. The school received a more than $8 million loan for the new location which includes a new gymnasium. 

Explore the Elko Institute recommendation memo.

Board Heard Update on Approved New Charter Schools for Fall 2022

  • Battle Born Academy – Battle Born is scheduled to open for grades K, 5, and 6 this Fall. The school location was approved by the city in January 2022. The school currently has 37 applicants for enrollment and celebrated a number of grants received. 

  • Sage Collegiate – Sage is scheduled to open K-5 with over 200 students in year one. The school will be located at the former Elk’s Lodge on West Charleston Blvd and will open in August. Over 100 students are enrolled. Sage’s lottery will take place in February at the West Charleston Library. 

Explore the Sage Collegiate update.

  • PilotED Cactus Park Elementary – The permit for the school location has been completed. PilotEd Cactus Park is a recipient of the Great Schools for Nevada Charter School Program (CSP) Grant. SPCSA approved the school’s updated lottery policy. The school is currently meeting enrollment thresholds and has job postings on its website.

  • Young Women’s Leadership Academy (YWLA)  – YWLA is scheduled to open this Fall, serving 150 students in year one. The school’s enrollment policy was submitted for approval. YWLA is currently in their enrollment window with 20% of enrollment met. 

  • Las Vegas Collegiate – Las Vegas Collegiate was approved at the December 2019 SPCSA board meeting and later approved for deferral to open in 2021. Due to facility challenges, the school  was approved to instead open in 2022. The school did not meet location conditions and in November 2021 the board moved to a dissolution plan. Any funds and furniture that was purchased will be moved to another charter school. 

Explore the Las Vegas Collegiate recommendation memo and dissolution plan.

Board Heard Recommendations and Voted on Resubmitted New Charter School Applications

  • Strong Start Academy – Strong Start was approved to open with conditions that include submission of an updated lottery policy, evidence that the executive director has been hired, evidence of contracts and key service providers; evidence of a facility, and evidence that school has transportation support.

Explore the Strong Start Academy application report.

  • Pioneer Technology & Arts Academy Nevada (PTAAN) – PTAAN’s application was denied (4-3) based on factors including that student feedback was mostly from private school populations, partnerships were still in their initial stages, lack of evidence/support of parent outreach and engagement, concerns and lack of clarity for formal hiring of a school leader, and concerns about the facility.

Explore the PTAAN application report.

Board Approved Recommendations on the SPCSA Financial Performance Framework

The Financial Performance Framework is a tool utilized to evaluate a charter schools’ financial well being, health, and performance as part of ongoing monitoring and the renewal decision making process. Charter schools have the autonomy to manage their finances consistent with state and federal law; however, sponsors must ensure that the schools they sponsor are financially stable. In the process of renewing or not renewing a charter school, sponsors must determine whether the school is not only academically and organizationally sound, but also financially viable.

Approved recommendations included:

  • Accept performance data for all schools included in the presentation.
  • Remove the active Notice of Concern for Discovery Charter School as the school is Meeting Standard.

Explore the Financial Performance Framework presentation.

Explore the school performance data and recommendation memo.

Board Approved Recommendation on the SPCSA Organizational Performance  Framework

The  SPCSA Organizational Performance Framework (OPF) sets forth agreed upon expectations of performance and compliance. The Framework measures SPCSA-sponsored charter schools under five areas of focus: 1) Education Program, 2) Financial Management & Oversight, 3) Governance & Reporting, 4) Students & Employees, and 5) School Environment. Schools must reach 80% or higher on a 20-point scale in each of the five focus areas to rate as “Meets Standard.”

The board approved staff recommendation to accept the 2021–2022 Organizational Framework results as presented, and delegate to SPCSA staff the authority to provide final results to governing boards of each charter school in the coming weeks. 

Explore the Organizational Performance Framework presentation and school ratings.

Board Approved 2022 SPCSA Academic & Demographic Needs Assessment

The Academic & Demographic Needs Assessment is an evaluation of student demographic information, the academic needs of students, and the needs of students who are at risk of dropping out. When reviewing charter school applications, the Authority must consider the degree to which the proposed charter school will address the needs identified in the Needs Assessment. The SPCSA board first approved the needs assessment at the July 26, 2019 meeting. SPCSA is required to update the Needs Assessment by January 31 of each year.

Proposed revisions for 2022 include updated definitions, additional student groups such as the homeless and foster population, language around barriers to access related to transportation, updates to data metrics, inclusion of data and information on newly opened SPCSA-charter schools, and language emphasizing partnering with the community intended to be served.

The board approved the 2022 Academic & Demographic Needs Assessment with one technical change related to maps.

Explore the 2022 Academic & Demographic Needs Assessment.

Board Approved the Annual Report to Nevada’s Department of Education

Director Feiden shared that expectations for the report include a list of schools, SPCSA strategic vision, and an outline of federal grant dollars passed through to SPCSA sponsored schools.

The board approved the annual report with additional financial information to be approved in February.

Explore the report.

Long-Range Calendar (next 3 months)

Agenda items over the next three SPCSA board meetings are anticipated to include:

  • A “State of the SPCSA” presentation to be given during the February 15 board meeting. 

Explore the long-range calendar.

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Nevada Ed-Watch 7/15/21

Posted on by Opportunity 180

The Ed-Watch series is designed to increase access to information on decisions being made regarding public education in Clark County and Nevada.

Nevada State Board of Education

What is the State Board of Education & what are they responsible for? The Nevada State Board of Education adopts regulations based on Nevada laws, which are passed down to individual school districts in Nevada to implement. The Board has 11 total (7 appointed and 4 publicly elected) members.

How often does the State Board meet? The Nevada State Board of Education meets once per month on Thursdays at 9:00 AM or 2:00 PM. Click here to see the 2021 Board Meeting Schedule. Click here to visit Hope For Nevada’s #NVEd Calendar.

Can community members engage at State Board Meetings? A time for public comment is provided at the beginning (for agenda items) and at the conclusion (on any matter) of each Board meeting. Members of the public may provide public comment in writing via email; public comment will be accepted via email for the duration of the meeting and shared with the State Board of Education during the public comment periods. Public comment may be emailed to NVBoardED@doe.nv.gov.

Click here for a list of all State Board Members.

Thursday, July 15, 2021
Nevada State Board of Education Meeting

Click here to see the meeting agenda

What happened at this meeting?

Public Comment

Members of the public provided comment regarding:

  • Concern over masks and vaccine rollout for students in Carson City
  • Concern for the welfare and safety of Carson City students in regards to vaccines, masks, and the city’s school reopening plan
  • Concerns regarding the welfare and morale of educational support professionals

President’s Report

The president and board welcomed a new board member, Russell Hecht, Superintendent of Schools in Pershing County and the immediate past president of the Nevada Association of School Superintendents (NASS). He will replace current board member, Mike Walker. 

Superintendent’s Report

  • 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant Awards: The 21st Century Community Learning Center program supports the creation of community learning centers that provide academic enrichment opportunities during non-school hours for children, particularly students who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools. The Nevada Department of Education announced the award of $7M to 13 partners across the state to support out-of-school activities.
  • Nevada Association of School Superintendents (NASS) Conference: The board discussed the upcoming NASS conference. Ongoing details will be provided throughout the development of the conference.
  • Federal Relief Funding Update: Nevada has received roughly $9B in federal relief funds. Nevada school districts receiving fund allocations are required to submit a plan for the safe return to in-person instruction and continuity of services to the Nevada Department of Education by July 14, 2021. By September 10, 2021, districts are also required to submit their ARP ESSER funding plans.
  • Additional updates:
    • The board shared congratulations for Sarah Nick, the new Education Programs Professional, who is moving from the executive team to the Office of Student and School Supports. 
    • The Division of Business and Support Services has been renamed Student Support Services. 
    • The board wished Board President Ortiz a happy birthday. 

Board Approved Consent Agenda 

Consent agenda highlights: 

Board Heard Update on the 81st Legislative Session

The Board heard updates following the close of the 81st Legislative Session, including an update regarding the Pupil-Centered Funding Plan.

Legislation filed on the Nevada Department of Education’s behalf and successfully passed: 

  • SB439: Pupil-Centered Funding Plan
  • AB38: Work-based learning
  • AB67: Discipline clarity 
  • AB417: School bus safety
  • SB36: Crises management 
  • SB215: Blue ribbon commission 
  • AB419: Standards

The presentation also covered all of the bills that will be managed by the State Board of Education in order to ensure proper reporting and accountability. 

The Nevada Department of Education is currently in the regulatory work and stakeholder engagement section of the 2021-2022 legislative implementation plan. The next stage will be forming and conducting interim committees before beginning the budget and bill draft requests for the 2023 legislative session. 

2021 legislative session funding bills: 

  • Standard Budget Bills
    • AB-494: Appropriations Act (general Funds)
    • SB-459: Authorizations Act (federal funds)
    • SB-458: K-12 funding bill 
  • Budget Implementation Bill
    • SB-439: Pupil-Centered Funding Plan 
  • Other Education Finance Bills
    • AB-495: Mining tax bill, ARP funds for education 
    • SB-463: PCFP – Supplemental payments to charter schools. 

Board members shared requests for clarification on requirement changes of the board in terms of regulatory matters, requests for per-pupil spending data in Nevada in comparison to other states, and concerns over infusion of federal funds without a plan for lasting change once these funds are no longer available.

Click here to view the legislative update presentation.
Click here to view a presentation on the budget approved during the legislative session and the Pupil-Centered Funding Plan. 

Board Approved Vision Statement and Goals Aligned to Silver State Governance

The Board approved a new organizational vision statement: All Nevada students are equipped and feel empowered to attain their vision of success.

The Board will continue their work regarding the development of goals to monitor student outcomes as outlined by Silver State Governance. As part of this work, the SBOE has attended Silver State governance training and conducted a self-assessment in order to grow in student focused governance and create goals to monitor student outcomes.

The board also approved two final goals and discussed one proposed goal aligned to these outcomes:  

  • Approved Goals
    • The Nevada Education System will move up in state rankings from 18th as of September 2020 to Top 10 by July 2026 as measured by the academic portions of the Quality Counts K-12 student achievement data.
    • Increase the overall number of students receiving their CCR diploma from 23.9% on July 31, 2021 to 50% on July 31, 2026 and eliminate gaps of student subgroups while raising the overall average. 
  • Proposed Goal
    • Improve statewide culture and climate survey from the statewide score of 365 on July 31, 2020 to Y on July 31, 2026. This goal is on hold until the SBOE can receive a presentation with accurate data  

Throughout the goal development process, the SBOE discussed appropriate language for each goal, what goal benchmarks should be set in regards to the state’s ranking and diploma attainment, and their concerns for goal success based on varying statewide and region-specific factors. 

After approving the vision statement and two goals, the SBOE discussed guardrails for the two approved goals. Guardrails are “thou shalt not” phrases, the bumpers that will keep the board in line. 

Guardrails:

  • The State Superintendent will not propose major decisions that pertain to these goals to the Board without first having engaged students, families, and staff. 
  • We will not negatively impact student achievement of any student subgroup based on these goals. 
    • The above guardrails were not voted on, but they were decided as being the main guardrails as of now. The board wanted to pass them on to the State Superintendent for review and discussion. 

Other considered guardrails: 

  • We will not overinflate star ratings over individual student outcomes. 
  • We will not move from a standard diploma without the rigor of the coursework to achieve the CCR diploma. 
  • We will not allow our overall graduation rate to drop. 
  • We will not narrow the breadth and rigor of curriculum being taught. 
  • We will not consider the results of student data without also considering their social emotional and mental health of the students and staff. 
  • We will not allow academic gaps between subgroups. 

The State Superintendent and staff will come back with their thoughts and review on the approved goals. The SBOE will then finalize their third goal, guardrails, and decide on interim goals. 

Click here to view the evaluation rubric.

Future Agenda Items

The board submitted requests for future agenda items including brainstorming possible regulatory options and a review of recent reorganization outcomes.


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Nevada Ed-Watch 4/23/201

Posted on by Opportunity 180

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 one 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, April 23, 2021

State Public Charter School Authority Board Meeting

Click here to see the meeting agenda

What happened at this meeting? 

Members of the public provided comment regarding:

  • A request for the Authority to exercise their influence to end the mask-wearing mandate.

SPCSA Executive Directors’ and SPCSA Staff Report:

  • COVID-19 Update
    • On April 13th, Governor Sisolak released Directive 044 that outlines protocols for the safe return to work and school. Director Feiden explained how the Governor’s directive will affect public charter schools and the Authority.

Click here for Governor’s Directive 044.
Click here to read Director 044 updates.

  • Initiatives Related to Serving All Students Equitably
    • The SPCSA has provided school accountability technical assistance training and informational sessions for schools on the Project Aware grant. The Project Aware technical assistance working group will plan trainings focusing on topics including youth mental health, restorative justice, and the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) for school sites.
  • Update on Notice of Intent
    • In April 2021, the SPCSA collected 29 Notices of Intent to apply to launch a public charter school in Nevada, and schools intending to apply were invited to a pre-application training. Schools must submit an application by July, 15th 2021.

Board Approved COVID-19 Guidance for Schools

Under SPCSA’s COVID-19 guidance, schools are required to maintain a minimum of 3 feet social distancing for students and 6 feet social distancing for adults at SPCSA-sponsored schools, including within school buildings, on school grounds, and within school transportation vehicles for the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year. 

Large gatherings of 250 people or more, which require a Large Gathering Plan pursuant to Directive 044, allow schools to establish any capacity limits as an exception. The guidance also allows schools to continue with their existing sanitation protocols as determined at the school level and to make adjustments in line with any updated public health guidance.

Click here to read the full COVID-19 update.

Board Heard Overview on Federal Emergency Grant Funding

SPCSA is allocated funds under the following funding programs:

  • $4.6 million in ESSER I funding — Schools received $95.24 for each student qualifying for Free or Reduced-Price Lunch (FRL) and $85.17 for each student not qualifying for FRL.
  • Approximately $888,000 in GEER I funding.
  • Approximately $2.9 million under Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF), commonly referred to as AB3.
  • $23.8 million from Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act funds, or ESSER II — Schools were allocated funding based on a straight per-pupil allocation with additional weights on enrollment as follows: 30% for FRL, 110% for IEP, and 50% for ELL.
  • Approximately $53.4 million through the American Recovery Plan, or ARP ESSER, which was signed into law on March 11, 2021 and provides several types of funding for K-12 Education.
  • The second round of GEER funding was allocated to Governors for the same purposes and with the same flexibility as the first round of funding. The SPCSA has not received any information about allocations of the second round of GEER funding, or GEER II.

Click here to read the full overview of Federal Emergency Funding.

Board Heard Public Comment from Charter School Leaders on Federal Grant Funding

School leaders from Equipo Academy, Futuro Academy, and Doral Academy shared presentations on how the schools are utilizing received funding to support students and families. School leaders also requested that SPCSA’s current ESSER II allocation methodology be reevaluated, stating concerns that Title 1 schools with a high percentage of FRL and/or high-needs students will be funded inequitably compared to CCSD schools. 

The SPCSA board recommended that SPCSA staff create a follow-up comparison that shows allocation figures of CCSD in comparison to SPCSA allocation figures.

Board Heard Presentation on the Proposed Plan For The Safe Return to In-Person Instruction

Under the SPCSA’s proposed Plan for the Safe Return to In-Person Instruction, each charter school is required to have a re-opening plan pursuant to Emergency Directive 022. As documented in the proposed plan, SCPSA will approach a safe return to in-person instruction based on the following principles:

  • Clear Guardrails and Oversight to continue establishing minimum standards, where appropriate, and conducting compliance oversight of emergency directives
  • Flexibility and Support that honors school-level decision-making while providing support
  • Consistent Communication for information sharing between the SPCSA and schools

Pursuant to the NDE’s Framework for a Safe, Efficient, and Equitable Return to School Buildings as well as the U.S. Department of Education’s ED COVID-19 Handbook, Volume 2: Roadmap to Reopening Safely and Meeting All Students’ Needs, the plan also addresses five key areas of focus:

  • Communicating with Schools and Stakeholders
  • Establishing a Safe Learning Environment
  • Meeting the social, emotional, and mental health needs of students
  • Accelerating learning
  • Charter School Re-Opening Plans

Click here to read the full SPCSA Plan For The Safe Return to In-Person Instruction.

Board Approved Charter School Contract Amendments

The board approved two charter school contract amendments:

  • Nevada State High School was approved to defer the opening of Campus #8 under the Flagship contract to the 2022–23 school year and to be located at 4280 W. Craig Road, North Las Vegas, NV 89031. 

Click here to read the full SPCSA recommendation memo for Nevada State High School.

  • Girls Athletic Leadership School (GALS)’s was approved to relocate its campus to a new address and to reduce the enrollment cap from 270 to 160 students for the 2021-22 school year.

Click here to read the full SPCSA recommendation memo for GALS.

Board Approved Revolving Loan Applications for New Charter Schools 

The board approved revolving loan applications for three new charter schools that are planned to open in the Fall of 2021: TEACH Las Vegas, Sage Collegiate, and Las Vegas Collegiate. SPCSA shared feedback about the applications, including that the applications were compelling and complete, and that the schools demonstrated a strong plan for repayment of the loan and a need for additional start-up cash.

Click here to read the full SPCSA recommendation memo for Teach Las Vegas.
Click here to read the full SPCSA recommendation memo for Sage Collegiate.
Click here to read the full SPCSA recommendation memo Las Vegas Collegiate. 

Board Approved New Charter School Application

The board approved Battle Born Academy to open in August 2022. 

Click here to read the full SPCSA recommendation memo for Battle Born Academy.

Board Heard Updates on 2021 Legislative Session

SPCSA General Counsel Ryan Herrick provided updates on education bills that the Authority is following:

  • Assembly Bill 68 – AB-68 introduces legislation by the SPCSA regarding changes to charter school application periods, charter contracts, and grade level requirements. Director Fieden presented comments on this bill at the March 18th hearing to the Assembly of Education. The bill was amended and recommended to pass as amended.
  • Assembly Bill 109 – AB-109 removes an existing statute that allows for up to 30% of charter school teachers to be unlicensed. 
  • Assembly Bill 419 – AB-419 adds governance training requirements for charter school boards and the SPCSA board; requires certain reporting by charter schools that contract with Educational Management Organizations (EMOs); requires the SPCSA to report to the Interim Education Committee on certain items. 
  • Senate Bill 126 – SB-126 requires libraries and librarians in charter schools. 
  • Senate Bill 173 – SB-173 directs emergency federal funding to summer school in order to address student learning loss. Districts and charter schools may opt-in to the program. 
  • Senate Bill 215 – SB-215 changes provisions related to distance education.
  • Senate Bill 363 – SB-363 financial reporting related to funds paid to Educational Management Organizations (EMOs).

Click here to view SPCSA’s 2021 legislative updates.

Long-Range Calendar Update

New charter applications will be brought to the May board meeting and updates on American Recovery Funding will be included in an upcoming agenda.

Click here to see the long range calendar.

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Nevada Ed-Watch 4/15/2021

Posted on by Opportunity 180

The Ed-Watch series is designed to increase access to information on decisions being made regarding public education in Clark County and Nevada.

Nevada State Board of Education

What is the State Board of Education & what are they responsible for? The Nevada State Board of Education adopts regulations based on Nevada laws, which are passed down to individual school districts in Nevada to implement. The Board has 11 total (7 appointed and 4 publicly elected) members.

How often does the State Board meet? The Nevada State Board of Education meets once per month on Thursdays at 9:00AM. Click here to see the 2021 Board Meeting Schedule. Click here to visit Hope For Nevada’s #NVEd Calendar.

Can community members engage at State Board Meetings? A time for public comment is provided at the beginning (for agenda items) and at the conclusion (on any matter) of each Board meeting. Members of the public may provide public comment in writing via email; public comment will be accepted via email for the duration of the meeting and shared with the State Board of Education during the public comment periods. Public comment may be emailed to NVBoardED@doe.nv.gov.

Click here for a list of all State Board Members.

Thursday, April 15, 2021
Nevada State Board of Education Meeting

Click here to see the meeting agenda

What happened at this meeting?

Public Comment

Members of the public provided comment regarding:

  • Concerns that school principals lack autonomy
  • A need for guidance for SOTs to provide feedback on experiences with school staff
  • Concerns about the employee reassignment process

President’s Report

  • Silver State Governance Training
    • The Silver State Governance training supports boards in developing goals and guardrails to ensure that the board is focused on students and student outcomes. On April 9, 2021, the SBOE held a work session to begin drafting a new organizational vision focused on student outcomes in Nevada. SBOE will be scheduling an additional work session to continue the development of the draft. The draft vision speaks to ensuring that all Nevada students are equipped and feel empowered to foresee the future of their choosing as a result of collective efforts. SBOE will be seeking public feedback on the draft vision.

Superintendent’s Report

  • Legislative Update
    • Friday, April 9, was the deadline for bills in the Nevada Legislature to pass out of the houses in which they were entered. All six of the Nevada Department of Education’s (NDE) bills passed out of their respective houses. There were several amendments that were made to improve the bills.  Assembly Bill 265 regarding Alternative Routes to Licensure for administrators will receive no further action because it did not pass out of its first house committee pursuant to the April deadline.
  • Pupil-Centered Funding Plan Update
    • On April 7, the NDE participated in a workshop with the Senate Committee on Finance and the Senate Committee on Ways and Means to discuss the pupil-centered funding plan and is also working with the Commission on School Funding. Superintendent Ebert shared that the funding formula should provide additional transparency to the use of education funds. Currently, the Nevada Legislature is considering a phased approach to implementing the formula and the NDE anticipates it moving forward. 

Click here to read the Pupil-Centered Funding Plan Summary.

  • Blue Ribbon Commission for a Globally Prepared Nevada Update
    • SBOE is currently working with the Blue Ribbon Commission to begin implementation planning for competency-based learning.

Board Approved Consent Agenda 

Consent agenda highlights:

Board Approved Appointee to the State Public Charter School Authority Governing Board

The Nevada Department of Education is allotted two appointments to the State Public Charter School Authority (SPCSA) board. The SPCSA is the governing body that authorizes the opening and operation of public charter schools throughout the state.

The board approved a motion to appoint Erica Mosca as the SBOE designee. 

Applications for the appointment were open through March 2021 and screened by the Nevada Department of Education.  

Click here to view SPCSA appointee applications.

Board Heard Update Clark County School District’s Implementation of AB-469 (2017) 

Assembly Bill 469 (2017) required the implementation of a plan to reorganize Clark County School District following the passage of Assembly Bill 394 (2015) which provides principals with increased autonomy over schools and budgets. 

The State Superintendent of Public Instruction was given specific authority over monitoring the implementation of the reorganization. As such, the following components have been identified as necessary to be addressed by CCSD:

  • Authority to select school staff
  • Assignment of central staff to schools
  • Allocation funds to schools
  • Purchase of equipment, services, and supplies available from the district by schools
  • School carry forward of year‐end balance (e.g. school carryover funds)
  • Weighted per‐pupil funding

The Department identified the following problems to be solved by CCSD related to three of the six criteria:

  1. Complying with the requirement to grant principals control of teacher selection and placement; cases still exist where the central office assigns teachers to schools.
  2. Negotiating collective bargaining agreements with CCEA and ESEA that are consistent with the law (SB 224)
  3. Complying with the requirement to grant principals the freedom to determine which services, suppliers, and equipment to acquire; cases still exist where the central office is unacceptably constraining the range of principal choice with respect to certain services, suppliers, and equipment
  4. Providing schools precincts with access to carry forward funds early enough for schools to purchase additional personnel positions and instructional supports.

Board members discussed the need to determine the timely use of carryover dollars, the need for systems improvement to select licensed teachers, the need for solutions that help principals think outside the box to impact student outcomes, the potential for regulation that will give principals better access to carryover funds, and student outcomes-focused budget training for principals.

The Board plans to schedule work sessions with CCSD to understand its challenges and determine specific areas of support.

Click here to view the presentation.

Click here to view CCSD’s 2018 Plan for the Implementation of Actions to Finalize Compliance with AB 469.

Requests For Future Agenda Items

  • A summary of key education-related bills following the close of the Legislative session
  • A breakdown of any changes in responsibilities for the SBOE following bill decisions
  • A working session on the SBOE’s vision and goals
  • A statewide report detailing efforts on academic recovery of students related to the impact of COIVD-19


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Nevada Ed-Watch 4/8/2021

Posted on by Opportunity 180

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.

Clark County School District Board of Trustees 

What is the Board of Trustees & what are they responsible for? The CCSD 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
Click here to find your Trustee District

How often does the Board of Trustees meet? Trustees meet twice per month (second and fourth Thursdays) at 5 pm both virtually and at the Las Vegas Academy of the Arts High School, Lowden Theater: 875 E. Clark Avenue Las Vegas, Nevada, 89101

Click here for a full list of Trustees meetings and agendas
Click here to visit Hope For Nevada’s #NVEd Calendar

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 submitted by email to Boardmtgcomments@nv.ccsd.net. To submit a voice recording on items listed on the meeting agenda, call 702-799-1166. Voice recorded public comment is limited to 1 minute 30 seconds.

Thursday, April 8, 2021

Clark County School District Board of Trustees Meeting

Click here to see the meeting agenda

What happened at this meeting?

Public Comment

Members of the public commented in-person, through voice recorded messages, and written public comment on non-agenda items regarding: 

  • Concerns about the ongoing impact of distance and hybrid learning on student mental health, and calls to immediately open schools at 100% capacity
  • Concerns about distance learning class sizes in elementary schools
  • Requests for communications regarding 5th-grade celebrations 
  • Concerns about rules only allowing spectators at certain types of student athletics events 
  • Requests for the Open Schools Open Doors agreement to be reinstated to allow for community use of school buildings 
  • Support for fully reopening school buildings for all students starting in the 2021-2022 school year 

Click here & here to view public comments submitted online.

Trustees Approved Consent Agenda 

Trustees approved the consent agenda (6-0), with one trustee not present to vote.

Consent Agenda Highlights: 

  • Grant application to Governor’s Emergency Education Recovery Funds for the of purchase Chromebooks, iPads, and technology kits for teachers, totaling $5,700,745.46
  • Purchase awards totaling $16,633,977.15, including $7,400,000 for beverages for student meals and $73,482.00 for equipment to be used by police services to issue citations and warnings. 

Trustees Approved 2021-2022 Tentative Budget 

The tentative budget is required to be submitted to the Nevada Department of Taxation. Trustees were provided with an overview of the 2021-2022 tentative budget, presented by CCSD’s Chief Financial Officer. Currently, there are still significant uncertainties that could impact the District’s tentative budget, including student enrollment, plans for the return to school buildings, and state and federal legislation directed towards public school funding in Nevada. 

The District is early in the planning process for the allocations of the second round of federal stimulus funding approved in 2020 and is anticipating approximately $800M through the third stimulus via the American Rescue Plan. 

Trustees were also provided with an overview of the proposed phased approach to implementating the Pupil Centered Funding Plan, the updated funding formula that was passed during the 2019 NV Legislative Session. Under the current proposal, starting in the 2022-2023 school year, the State of Nevada would longer guarantee the funding that districts and local education agencies receive from local revenue sources.

The final budget will come before Trustees for approval at the May 20, 2021 meeting.

Click here to see the 2021-2022 Tentative Budget. 
Click here to see the presentation. 

Trustees Approved Notices of Intent for Policy & Regulation Changes 

Four policies related to student discipline and expulsion will come before the board at the March 13, 2021 meeting for final approval. Members of the public can submit comments or feedback on the policies prior to or during that meeting. 

Each of the policies includes general language updates to align with current district titles and names as well as legislation related to student discipline.  

Board Heard Update on 2021 Legislative Session 

CCSD staff provided Trustees with an overview of education-related bills that were heard at the Nevada Legislature. Highlights from the presentation include an update on AB255, which would change the composition of boards of trustees (CCSD does not anticipate the bill to move forward) and SB120, providing for additional accountability measures for principals and requiring associate superintendents and above to reapply for their positions every 5 years.

Additionally, Trustees were informed that legislators are considering the implementation of the Pupil Centered Funding Plan and that the District believes schools that receive Zoom and Victory funding sources should continue to be funded at that same level through the 2022-2023 school year in order to fully minimize the impact of the consolidation of categorical funding sources. Superintendent Jara shared that he is working with the legislators to ensure they do not receive less funding while the new formula is implemented. 

Click here to read about this in the Nevada Independent.

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Nevada Ed-Watch 3/25/21

Posted on by Opportunity 180

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.

Clark County School District Board of Trustees 

What is the Board of Trustees & what are they responsible for? The CCSD 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
Click here to find your Trustee District

How often does the Board of Trustees meet? Trustees meet twice per month (second and fourth Thursdays) at 5 pm both virtually and at the Las Vegas Academy of the Arts High School, Lowden Theater: 875 E. Clark Avenue Las Vegas, Nevada, 89101

Click here for a full list of Trustees meetings and agendas
Click here to visit Hope For Nevada’s #NVEd Calendar

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 submitted by email to Boardmtgcomments@nv.ccsd.net. To submit a voice recording on items listed on the meeting agenda, call 702-799-1166. Voice recorded public comment is limited to 1 minute 30 seconds.

Thursday, March 25, 2021

Clark County School District Board of Trustees Meeting

Click here to see the meeting agenda

What happened at this meeting?

Public Comment

Members of the public commented in-person, through voice recorded messages, and written public comment on non-agenda items regarding: 

  • Concerns about the health and safety of teachers and specialists returning to school buildings
  • Concerns that an agreement for specialists that facilitate Art, Music, Library, P.E., S.T.E.A.M., etc. is not being honored by CCSD 
  • Concerns that specialists are not being allowed to follow an MOA to teach in their content areas
  • Concerns that the district’s policy of random, mandatory COVID-19 testing limits access to testing for some staff
  • Concerns about employee morale
  • Concerns that an anti-racism and anti-bias policy has not been added to a CCSD Trustee meeting agenda
  • The need to address racial issues and restoration in West Las Vegas 
  • Support for the Nevada Legislature and Trustees to take action on anti-racism policies
  • The need for suicide prevention in the community
  • Concerns that the district is billing Medicaid for services to students that have not been rendered, and a request for an audit on Medicaid billing

Click here & here to view public comments submitted online.

Trustees Approved Consent Agenda With Adjustments

Trustees approved the consent agenda (6-0) with the deletion of agenda item 3.03 regarding Professional Services: Title IV, Part A Grant, Nevada Department of Education. One trustee was not present to vote.

Consent Agenda Highlights: 

  • Addendum to the Memorandum of Agreement between CCSD and Eye Care 4 Kids to extend access to school-based vision services to siblings under 18 years of age who reside with students enrolled in CCSD
  • Authorization to accept additional grant funding for The Social Workers in Schools grant project in the amount of $3,451,747.57 from the Nevada Department of Education to provide added social work and mental health support services to schools for a total grant amount of $17,193,033.37 
  • Purchase awards totaling $2,151,531.32
  • Authorization to extend the Contract for Services for Thunder Road Productions/Commercial Talent Agency to host 20 episodes of the Vegas PBS series Outdoor Nevada 

Trustees Heard Update on 2021 Budget 

The 2021 Amended Final Budget forecast has not changed since the Board was last updated at the February meeting. The forecast focuses on the ending fund balance which indicates CCSD’s anticipated reserves. Additional budget updates include:

  • Revenues have declined due to a decrease in enrollment and this has been taken into consideration for the budget.
  • CCSD is experiencing significant savings in all areas, including payroll, supplies, and services. This is primarily in school budgets–school carryover supplies, service level agreements (SLAs), and vacancy savings are now anticipated to be approximately just over $200 million in restricted fund balance.
  • The potential revenue shortfall due to lower than anticipated costs throughout the year is approximately $43.3 million. 
  • The unassigned fund balance is still at $54.3 million which is 2.25% of the revenues.

The district still anticipates significant fiscal impacts due to the pandemic. Uncertainties related to COVID-19’s impact on the budget persevere, including possible impacts of a recession and enrollment uncertainties. State funding reductions have been incorporated into the budget for this year, with additional anticipated changes going into next year.

CCSD has been allocated approximately $374 million through ESSER II federal funding. The district is working to prioritize the use of those funds in anticipation of any funding changes from the state as well as address additional needs related to COVID-19 and reopening schools.

CCSD has not received a final allocation for the newest round of federal funding through the American Rescue Act. Trustees will be provided with an update when more information on those funds becomes available.

Click here to view the budget update presentation.

Board Heard Update on Proposed Charter Schools

Trustees heard a briefing on the collaborative efforts between the State Public Charter School Authority (SPCSA) and CCSD. The genesis of this collaborative effort was the passage of Assembly Bill 462 in 2019 which mandates that the SPCSA collaborate with districts in which they are planning to place or expand charter schools. Under the bill, the SPCSA must notify the district when the following occurs:

  • A group of individuals submits an Intent to Apply to become a charter school
  • A group of individuals submits an application to operate a charter school
  • A school that is currently in operation submits a request to the SPCSA to amend its current charter contract

SCPSA assesses proposed schools based on six criteria: Demographics, Academic Geographics, Social-Emotional, Academic Learning Models, Financial Plan, and Successful History. Schools must meet standards in all six categories to receive approval to operate a charter school in Nevada.  In February 2021, SPCSA provided applications to CCSD for review and feedback on the following proposed public charter schools:

  • Battle Born Academy
  • PilotED Schools of Nevada
  • OLAM Academy of Nevada (OLAM Academy has recently withdrawn its application for consideration. CCSD anticipates that OLAM will reapply in one year.)

CCSD will submit its assessment questionnaires back to the SCPSA this month. In April 2021, the SPCSA staff will submit its recommendation to the SCPSA board for their approval or denial of the applications. In May 2021, the SPCSA will notify the public and the Nevada Department of Education regarding its decisions.

Trustees approved a motion (6-0) accepting a recommendation not to approve the proposed charter school applications. One trustee was not present to vote.

Click here to view the presentation.

Trustees Approved Notice of Intent to Amend CCSD Regulation 6150 Regarding Instructional Materials and Services

The CCSD K-12 Literacy and Language Development Department convened a task force representing all regions and Trustee districts to provide recommendations for the amendment of Regulation 6150, which provides guidance on the selection and provision of instructional materials and services. The task force is made up of region superintendents, school associate superintendents, principals, teachers, teacher librarians, and central office staff, including the Office of General Counsel, Human Resources, and the Equity and Diversity Education Committee.

Reasons for amendment of Regulation 6150 include:

  • Clarification of ambiguous language defining instructional materials
  • Better defined procedures for the selection of supplemental textbooks
  • The need to address school library staffing, reporting, and resources as approved in the amendment of CCSD Regulation 6161

Members of the public submitted comment in support of Regulation 6150.

Trustees passed a motion (6-0) to approve the Notice of Intent to amend CCSD Regulation 6150. One trustee was not present to vote.

Click here to read the Notice of Intent.
Click here to read public comment on this agenda item.

Board Heard Update on 2021 Legislative Session

As of March 25, 2021, 799 bills have been introduced in the Nevada Legislature, of which CCSD is tracking 265. CCSD staff noted that the deadline for bill introductions has been extended past March 26. By April 9, all bills must pass the committee in the house in which they were introduced. District staff provided an overview of bills that have been introduced in their respective committees: 

  • Senate Bill 102: SB102 changes the date by which a child is required to be five years old to attend kindergarten.
  • Senate Bill 173: SB173 invites schools to submit a plan to address learning loss by offering free summer school to students.
  • Senate Bill 182: SB182 requires P.E. instruction to include activities scientifically shown to reduce obesity.
  • Senate Bill 202: SB202 requires school districts to count credits in computer coding as a foreign language credit.
  • Senate Bill 220: SB220 requires school districts to establish alternative education opportunities for students to receive elective course credits after the state has identified apprenticeship programs that have certain exemptions.
  • Senate Bill 272: SB272 establishes the Nevada Educator Core where NDE will form a database of available tutors to provide in-person or online tutoring for public schools.
  • Assembly Bill 67: AB67 makes some changes to the restorative justice bill passed in 2019.
  • Assembly Bill 194: AB194 seeks to address the timelines for students appealing a suspension or expulsion.
  • Assembly Bill 195: AB195 establishes an English Language Learner Bill of Rights.
  • Assembly Bill 215: AB215 allows a 17-year-old to earn a diploma through adult education if they attended high school for four years but were credit deficient.
  • Assembly Bill 262: AB262 grants in-state tuition for Native American students. 
  • Assembly Bill 265: AB265 provides an alternative route to licensure for the educational administrative pathway.
  • Assembly Bill 319: AB319 allows the College of Southern Nevada (CSN) to enter into a cooperative agreement with CCSD for a pilot program targeting populations in under-resourced communities for expanded opportunities in dual enrollment credit courses.

Trustees engaged in a dialogue with staff members on additional bills, including AB176, AB195, AB265, AB319, and AB364. 

Board Approves Resolution to Oppose Appointed School Boards

Assembly Bill 255 (2021) seeks to change the method by which the board of school trustees is chosen from an elected method to a hybrid elected and appointed method. Trustees approved a motion 6-0 opposing changes to the method by which the board of trustees is chosen. One trustee was not present to vote.

Click here to read the resolution.
Click here to read public comment on this agenda item.
Click here to read more about this in the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

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Nevada Ed-Watch 3/19/21

Posted on by Opportunity 180

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 one 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 19, 2021

State Public Charter School Authority Board Meeting

Click here to see the meeting agenda

What happened at this meeting? 

Members of the public provided comment regarding:

  • A request for a group of Title I charter schools to provide a presentation to the Authority at the next board meeting to share the current realities of their school communities and to discuss more strategic allocation of funds to schools that serve students and families disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

SPCSA Executive Directors’ and SPCSA Staff Report:

Report highlights:

  • COVID-19 Update
    • Director Feiden provided updates on the joint program with the Department of Health and Human Services and SPCSA for rapid testing at school sites. There are 15 total school sites approved for rapid testing beginning late March.
    • K-12 emergency education funds to date include ESSER I AND ESSER II, and pending funds from the New American Rescue Plan. SPCSA anticipates that schools can submit applications for ESSER II school funding in April and is waiting an update from the Nevada Department of Education on applications for the New American Rescue Plan allocations.  
  • Initiatives Related to Serving All Students Equitably
    • The SPCSA has provided school accountability technical assistance training and informational sessions for schools on the Project Aware grant and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) training. The focus of this grant is to incorporate MTSS support and provide restorative justice training for school sites.
    • Plans to launch a student sub-group data initiative are underway. The authority’s goal is to analyze student data, understand trends in student subgroups that are historically low performing. They plan to hold working groups to develop a system for identifying tracking student progress, identifying students for RTI and using student data to better inform how to support student subgroups.
    • The Authority will convene a subcommittee of the Community Working Group to discuss professional development opportunities on equity, diversity and inclusion.
  • Learning Recovery Efforts
    • In April 2021, the SPCSA will release a survey for schools to understand how the SPCSA can further support schools with learning recovery for the 2021-2022 school year.
  • Special Education Enrollment Monitoring
    • Beginning in March 2021, SPCSA staff will conduct enrollment monitoring activities to understand what barriers might exist for families with students who have special needs. SPCSA staff will pose as parents of children with special needs and contact schools to inquire about enrollment. Schools have been notified in advance of this monitoring activity. Any schools identified as having barriers through these calls will be provided technical assistance by the SPCSA.

Board Approved Charter School Contract Amendments

The board approved two charter school contract amendments:

  • Eagle Nevada Charter Schools was approved to defer opening until the 2022-23 school year in order to complete facility construction.

Click here to read updates from the school.

  • Signature Preparatory Academy was conditionally approved to acquire a facility that they are currently leasing, with no impact to their enrollment cap. Signature Prep must provide SPCSA with specific financing and debt information related to the acquisition of the facility.

Click here to read the full SPCSA recommendation.

Beard Heard Presentation About Opportunity 180 and their work in public education

Jana Wilcox Lavin, Executive Director of Opportunity 180 (O180), provided a presentation to the Authority about O180’s programs related to charter school launch and identified places of alignment with the SPCSA’s work.  Opportunity 180’s vision is a shared community North Star where every public school student graduates from high school college and career ready. O180 works across five levers toward the North Star: Great Schools, Good Governance, Good Data, Engaged Community, and Great Ideas. Opportunity 180 has resources available to support prospective schools that can be found on the website: www.opportunity180.org.

Board Heard Update on 2021 Legislative Session

SPCSA General Counsel Ryan Herrick provided updates on education bills that the Authority is following.

  • Assembly Bill 68 – AB68 introduces legislation by the SPCSA regarding changes to charter school application periods, charter contracts, and grade level requirements. Director Fieden presented comments on this bill at the March 18th hearing to the Assembly of Education. The bill was amended and recommended to pass as amended.
  • Assembly Bill 109 – AB109 removes an existing statute that allows for up to 30% of charter school teachers to be unlicensed.
  • Assembly Bill 194 – AB194 is centered on restorative justice and discipline practices.
  • Assembly Bill 195 – AB195 creates an English Language Learner Bill of Rights.
  • Assembly Bill 253 – AB253 makes various changes to Open Meeting Law, including permanently allowing for virtual meetings. 
  • Senate Bill 173 – SB173 directs emergency federal funding to summer school in order to address student learning loss. Districts and charter schools may opt-in to the program.

Long-Range Calendar Update

New charter applications will be brought to the April board meeting and updates on New American Recovery Plan Funding will be included in an upcoming agenda.

Board members requested to have a discussion with Title I school leaders as brought up in public comment.

Click here to see the long-range calendar.

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Nevada Ed-Watch 2/25/21

Posted on by Opportunity 180

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.

Clark County School District Board of Trustees 

What is the Board of Trustees & what are they responsible for? The CCSD 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
Click here to find your Trustee District

How often does the Board of Trustees meet? Trustees meet twice per month (second and fourth Thursdays) at 5 pm. While all meetings are typically held at the Edward A. Greer Education Center (Board Room): 2832 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89121, all meetings are now held virtually due to the COVID-19 crisis. 

Click here for a full list of Trustees meetings and agendas
Click here to visit Hope For Nevada’s #NVEd Calendar

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 submitted by email to Boardmtgcomments@nv.ccsd.net. To submit a voice recording on items listed on the meeting agenda, call 702-799-1166. Voice recorded public comment is limited to 1 minute 30 seconds.

Thursday, February 25, 2021

Clark County School District Board of Trustees Meeting

Click here to see the meeting agenda

What happened at this meeting?

Public Comment

Members of the public commented in-person, through voice recorded messages, and written public comment on non-agenda items regarding: 

  • Requests for an immediate return to school buildings
  • Concerns about the emotional, academic, and psychological impact of continued distance learning on students
  • Concerns about depression in student athletes and restrictions in place by the Governor on school sports
  • Requests to return to full-time in-person learning rather than a hybrid model by Fall 2021
  • Concerns about the loss of motivation in students
  • Support for continued distance learning for the safety of students

Click here to view public comments submitted online.

Trustees Approved Consent Agenda (6-1)

Consent Agenda Highlights: 

Trustees Heard Presentation on the Projected 2021 Budget

As of December 2020, CCSD is still trending to have better than expected results in the 2021 projected fund balance. Salary and wage and supply and service costs have lowered for the District due to schools not being open for in-person learning. Revenue in areas such as student enrollment is lower than projected, but given the continued savings, CCSD anticipates an unassigned fund balance of just over $54 million and over $40 million in excess reserves going into 2021.

Budget uncertainties include the continued impact of COVID-19, state legislative funding reductions for K-12, student enrollment uncertainties, possible recession impacts, and potential restrictions on federal funds.

Click here to view the budget presentation.

Board Heard Presentation on Legislative Updates

Trustees heard discussion and updates regarding state legislation that could affect education, including reports of current legislative issues and events, the establishment of the district’s position on proposed legislation, and guidance to the Superintendent and legislative staff.

Legislative session update:

  • February 25 marked the 26th day of the 120 day legislative session.
  • All meetings of the legislature are virtual with no timetable for when the legislative building will be open to the public.
  • 359 bills have been introduced as of February 25, 2021 and CCSD is currently tracking 126 of those bills.
  • There are two important upcoming deadlines:
    • By March 12: The Legislature must take action on any initiative petitions. If no action is taken, the petitions will go to the 2022 ballot.
    • By March 15: Legislatures must introduce their bills.

Highlights on Bill Drafts introduced in Week One:

  • Superintendent Jara presents to Legislature – Superintendent Jara provided presentations to the Senate Commission on Education and the Assembly Commission on Education discussing the CCSD response to COVID-19 and the upcoming school reopening plan. 
  • Senate Bill 83 – SB83 authorizes the Nevada Department of Education (NDE) to waive or pause the requirements to administer criterion reference exams, known in Nevada as SBAC. The United States Department of Education recently announced that no waivers would be provided; however, the Department is granting flexibility with the testing window, the length of the exam, and an allowance for completing testing remotely if necessary. If SB83 passes, this bill would provide NDE and school districts with flexibilities in those areas.
  • Senate Bill 2 – SB2 is a bill draft from CCSD. This bill seeks to reduce the loads of educators. After what was described as a successful hearing, CCSD is currently awaiting a work session in order to move the bill forward to a vote of the full senate floor.
  • Senate Bill 27 – SB27, which was sponsored by the Department of Education, seeks to streamline the teacher licensing process. The purpose of the bill is to amend some issues of concern regarding removing the requirement for paraprofessionals to have to be licensed by the State and clarifying that an investigation by the State Superintendent is limited only to licensed employees. This bill passed the Senate Committee on Education on February 24, 2021.
  • Senate Bill 76 – SB76, sponsored by the NDE, seeks to reduce reporting frequency and remove commissions currently overseen by the Department. There was some opposition to getting rid of the Council on Academic Standards and the RPDP regional boards. At the direction of Chair Mo Dennis, the conversation with NDE will continue in order to bring a bill forward that the committee will approve.
  • Senate Bill 66 –  On February 24, CCSD presented their second bill draft to the Senate Committee on Education, SB66, which addresses internet connectivity. This bill receives support from all the school districts, Cox Communications, and the Vegas Chamber as well as the Governor’s Office of Science, Innovation, and Technology who will be tasked with putting together a gap analysis of the connectivity needs in the state and eventually a fiscal plan that the state can adopt. It is anticipated that the Senate Committee on Education will vote on this bill early next week.
  • Senate Bill 142 – SB142 repeals a provision that was passed last session that allows for a budgeted ending fund balance of no more than 16.6% to not be subject to negotiation for an employee organization. 
  • Assembly Bill 57 – AB57 is a bill draft from Washoe County School District that seeks to suspend student learning goals from the NEPF through the 2022-23 SY. In collaboration with CCA, a friendly amendment was provided to ensure that certain schools are still able to use the metric as a measure for potential bonuses. 
  • Assembly Bill 159 – AB159 is a COVID liability protection for schools and is sponsored by multiple Assembly members. 

Members of the public shared written and verbal comment regarding concerns that voter rights to select trustees will be impacted, concerns about trustee conduct, and concerns about the lack of communication from the Superintendent and trustees with the Black community.

Click here to read the 2021 Legislative Update.

Click here to read public comment on this agenda item.

Trustees Approve New Memorandum of Agreement Regarding the Negotiated Agreement between CCSD and the Education Support Employees Association

Trustees approved the New Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) Regarding the Negotiated Agreement between CCSD and the Education Support Employees Association. The agreement temporarily allows employees to perform work outside of their general job duties to minimize or eliminate any need for a reduction in force. There is no financial cost to implement the MOA.

One trustee abstained from vote due to their employment with the Nevada State Education Association and a fiscal note within the MOA that affects members.

Members of the public submitted recorded comment regarding concerns about the workload put on support staff and the potential to create unhappy and unsafe working conditions for support staff if the MOA is approved. 

Click here to read the reference materials for the approval.

Trustees Approved Amendment to the Negotiated Agreement between the Clark County School District and the Clark County Education Association

Trustees approved the Amendment to the Negotiated Agreement between the Clark County School District and the Clark County Education Association. The new MOA clears up technical and grammatical errors from the first agreement. The new MOA will see the inclusion of the flushing out of the Master Practitioner program. The board has frequently expressed a desire to home-grow teachers and keep leaders in the classroom. The Master Practitioner program is a 4-year process in which teachers will be rewarded by staying and becoming the in-school leaders that the district needs. There is a fiscal impact to this MOA which will not occur until the 2024-25 SY if all cohorts and members graduate. The financial impact would be rolling and would consist of  $539,240. 

One Trustee abstained from the vote due to their employment with the Nevada State Education Association.

Click here to read the reference materials for the approval.

Trustee Agenda Requests

  • Request for the CCSD Board of Trustees to set guidelines in the future for no-bid contracts 
  • Request to discuss legislation that creates appointed boards

Superintendent Communication

Superintendent Jara shared hopes for plans to celebrate the graduating class of 2021, potentially at an in-person venue, as well as a desire to get students back to campus strategically and safely, including to begin extracurricular activities. Seniors, who are normally not included in intramural sports at the end of the school year, will be included in them this school year. The board will share more information on these updates at a later date.

Upcoming Meeting Announcement

Monday, March 1 at 5:30 pm: Joint meeting with the AZAC

Wednesday, March 3 at 8:00 am: Work session at 8:00 am

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