The Ed-Watch series is designed to increase access to information on what decisions
are being made regarding public education in Clark County and Nevada.
What is the Board of Trustees & what are they responsible for? The Washoe County School District Board of Trustees are publicly elected decision-makers for the school district. They are responsible for providing oversight to the Superintendent and establishing District-wide policy. Trustees are accountable to work with their communities to improve student achievement.
Click here to learn more and see a list of current Trustees.
How often does the Board of Trustees meet? Trustees meet twice per month (second and fourth Tuesdays) at 2 pm both virtually and at the Central Administration Building Board Room, 425 E. 9th St., Reno, NV 89512.
Click here for a full list of Trustees meetings.
Can community members engage at Trustee meetings? Decision-making bodies benefit greatly from hearing public input and multiple perspectives. Currently, members of the public can submit comments on agenda and non-agenda items through email or voice recording. Public comment can be provided in person or via email. Email comments should be submitted to publiccomments@washoeschools.net.
Tuesday, August 9, 2022
Washoe County School District Board of Trustees Meeting
Click here to see the meeting agenda.
Watch the meeting playback.
What happened at this meeting?
Trustees Approved the Consent Agenda
Trustees approved Consent Agenda items 2.03 through 2.06 and 2.08 through 2.13. Consent agenda highlights include:
- Annual dues to the Nevada Association of School Boards
- A Master Services Agreement with Progressus Therapy for placement of social workers in schools
- An agreement between the District and the Washoe Education Association providing stipends for employees to provide Campus English Language Development Support
Explore the consent agenda here.
Trustees Discussed Possible Topics for Bill Draft Requests for the 2023 Legislative Session
Board members discussed possible proposals for bill draft requests for the upcoming 2023 Legislative Session. The District can submit one bill draft request each session, and the request is due to the Legislative Counsel Bureau by September 1, 2022. Possible topics include unfunded mandates and safety issues. The Superintendent will research these (and potential other) topics and will present findings at the next scheduled Board meeting on August 23.
Trustees Discussed The Superintendent Entry Plan
The Superintendent discussed her entry plan into the community, providing opportunities to build relationships and gather information to share with Trustees and the community to assess strengths, challenges, and opportunities within the District. Three priorities identified are getting back to the basics, building trust, and creating a healthy, supportive and resilient school system.
The plan has been divided into three phases:
- Phase I: August – October 2022: Listening, learning, and building relationships
- Phase II: October – December 2022: Analyzing information and collaborating with staff
- Phase III: December 2022 – June 2023: Reporting results and launching the development of the District’s strategic plan
The Superintendent will provide an update at the October 11, 2022 Board meeting and a summary report at the December 13, 2022 Board meeting.
Explore the presentation and the Superintendent Entry Plan.
Board Approved a Recommendation from the Group Insurance Committee for a Group Health Insurance Rate Increase of 0% for the 2023 Plan Year
Trustees approved the District’s Group Insurance Committee’s recommendation of a 0% rate increase for the 2023 plan year, due to the position of the self-funded Health Insurance Fund and financial pressures faced by employees.
Trustees Discussed Staffing Levels and Vacancies for the 2022-2023 School Year
Staff provided an update on staffing levels and vacancies. A recent decision was made to deploy 60 Teachers on Special Assignment (TOSAs) to classrooms. With those TOSAs in the classrooms, 87 positions remain unfilled (in comparison, there were 62 open positions on the first day of school last year). Staff has been discussing options for covering those positions, including long-term substitutes, class scheduling adjustments, and others, and will continue to work through the issue as the beginning of the school year approaches.
Trustee Reports
Trustee district highlights included:
- The openings of O’Brien Middle School and Hug High School
- Tours of ACE High School
- Visiting summer food distribution sites at different schools (in partnership with the Food Bank of Northern Nevada)
Superintendent’s Report
The Superintendent’s report highlights included:
- Preparing for the first day of the 2022-2023 school year on Monday, August 15
- Working to get the Student Advisory Council operational for the new school year
- Meeting with the Washoe Education Association on additional staff supports for the new school year
- Leadership Academy welcoming about 400 principals, assistant principals, and staff last week
Public Comment
Members of the public shared comments on this item regarding:
- Entry plan for the Superintendent
- Safe Embrace resource closure
- Coral Academy expansion request
- Student achievement and ACT scores
- Equitable resource and facility use for the marching band at Damonte Ranch High School
The next Meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for August 23, 2022, at 2:00 p.m.
