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, March 14, 2023
Washoe County School District Board of Trustees Meeting
Click here to see the meeting agenda.
Watch the meeting playback.
What happened at this meeting?
Trustees Approved the Consent Agenda
Consent agenda highlights include:
- Preliminary approval of Draft Board Policy 5120 – Arrest of Students on School Property
- Approval to remove Administrative Regulation 7086 – School Closure
Explore the consent agenda here.
Trustees Approved the Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) 1 from Q & D Construction for Hug High School
Trustees approved the GMP 1 from Q & D Construction as the Construction Manager of Risk for management services relating to the repurposing of Hug High School into a career and technical education academy. The GMP 1 is $29,532,453 with an owner’s contingency of $2 million, for a total of $31,532,453.
Explore the agreement.
Trustees Received a Presentation on Bills Introduced during the 2023 Legislative Session Related to Behavior and Discipline
Trustees received an update on bills introduced thus far during the 2023 Legislature pertaining to student discipline. Highlights included:
- AB 65, AB 194, and SB 152 are similar bills that would change language from restorative justice to restorative practices, providing additional latitude in suspending and expelling students, introducing “Acts of Violence” to include battery and assault, and maintaining differences in disciplinary procedures for students 11 and over, vs. students aged 10 and under.
- The District is advocating for a transition period for students coming from juvenile detention centers or treatment centers so their outcomes are improved.
- AB 72 would establish a Safety and Well-Being of Teachers Commission.
Explore the presentation.
Trustees Approved the Project Plan for the Review and Revision of the Student Behavior Manual for the 2023-24 School Year
Trustees received a presentation on and discussed the project plan for reviewing and revising the 2023-2024 Student Behavior Manual. Highlights included:
- The Student Behavior Task Force is coomprised of 6 teachers, 6 site administrators, and 9 central office administrators.
- Data has been collected from 2018 to present day. Overall, there have been more disruptive events in the first 110 days of school than violent or procedural events. The difference is about 33 percent. (Disruptive events may include inappropriate language or disrespect, for example. Procedural events may include dress code violations or truancy. Violent events may include fights or bodily harm to others.)
- Overall, there have been more out of school suspensions than in-school suspensions in the first 110 days of school.
- Significant suspension is removal of a pupil from school for 3 or more days. Long term suspension is removal of a pupil from school for not more than one semester. Expulsion is removal of a pupil from school for more than a semester with the possibility of returning to their zoned school or another school in the district. Permanent expulsion is removal of a pupil from school for more than one semester without the possibility of returning to their zoned school or another school in the district. Instead, the student goes to a school for alternative education.
- A workshop in May is planned to expedite the process and discuss recommendations.
Explore the project plan, presentation, and current manual.
Trustees Approved the Goals of the Safe and Healthy Schools Commission
Trustees received a presentation on and approved the goals of the Safe and Healthy Schools Commission. Goals and highlights of the presentation included:
- The 15-member Safe and Healthy Schools Commission includes a student, parents, medical services representatives, emergency services representatives, government agency representatives, and at-large members.
- A goal is to partner with and engage families on emotional and physical safety of students.
- This organization assists Trustees on issues of safety and security of schools including prevention, intervention, mitigation, preparedness, emergency response, and recovery.
- The Commission is partnering with Parent University and using demographics and satisfaction rates to improve the program. Classes could include internet and social media safety. It is also partnering with the Family School Partnership Department to create a toolkit for schools and families to better understand safety procedures.
- Future goals include conducting an annual safety forum, reviewing yearly and biannual training for crisis and emergency management, and reviewing district policies and programming.
- Trustees want bathroom safety to cut down on students’ vaping in secondary schools. Bathrooms are being locked to everyone.
Explore the presentation and supplemental materials provided by a Trustee.
Trustees Received an Update on Staff Training Related to Student Behavioral Issues
Trustees received a presentation on staff training related to student behavior issues, including an update on training for Care Solace implementation. Highlights included:
- Care Solace connects students and teachers to mental health and wellness tools and supports.
- Bus drivers and nutrition workers are included in the safety training, and individualized needs are taken into account, such as special education.
- Implementation of the Safe Voice and Handle With Care programs, including training for these platforms, is also occurring on an ongoing basis.
- All 17 middle schools in WCSD received suicide prevention and intervention training.
- A Project Aware grant used is being used towards care coordination, interviewing, and youth suicide prevention.
- Training for teachers about substance misuse, trauma-informed care stratgies, peer-to-peer support, suicide prevention and training, and other major topics is occurring on an ongoing basis alongside several community partners.
- Care Solace was approved one month ago, and 300 staff members have been trained in this program to-date.
Trustees Approved the Agreement with Centegix to Install Crisis Alert Equipment and Software
Trustees approved the agreement between WCSD and Centegix to install crisis alert equipment and software in schools and administration buildings using American Rescue Plan ESSER III funds in the amount of $4,580,800, and the $100,000 from the General Fund.
Explore the order acknowledgment, RFP documents, and an amendment to the agreement.
Student Representative’s Report
The Student Representative Report highlights included:
- Suggesting the student body should be included in decisions about the new behavior manual
Trustees Reports
Trustee reports highlights included:
- Several school and staff visits and student events
- Attending JROTC events
- Attending the Student Council Advisory meeting
- Participating in Family Resource Center activities and programming
- Attending the Joy Prom
- Thanking District partners for student support programs and initiatives
- Supporting the district relating to district and school challenges
- Commemorating Women’s History Month
Superintendent’s Report
- Improvements to student behavior through identifying root causes of that behavior
- Facing and acknowledging district challenges while celebrating successes
- Requesting demographics for data regarding behavior manual changes
- Hosting a community coffee chat on Friday, March 17
Public Comment
- A parent bill of rights section in the updated behavior manual
- Suggestions on additional teacher supports for the behavior manual
- Concerns regarding student screen time, inappropriate materials, and information on IT and security breaches
The next Meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for March 28, 2023, at 2:00 p.m.
