The Ed-Watch series is designed to increase access to information on what decisions
are being made regarding public education in Clark County and Nevada.
Washoe County School District Board of Trustees
What is the Board of Trustees & what are they responsible for? The Washoe County School District Board of Trustees are publicly elected decision-makers for the school district. They are responsible for providing oversight to the Superintendent and establishing District-wide policy. Trustees are accountable to work with their communities to improve student achievement.
Click here to learn more and see a list of current Trustees.
How often does the Board of Trustees meet? Trustees meet twice per month (second and fourth Tuesdays) at 2 pm both virtually and at the Central Administration Building Board Room, 425 E. 9th St., Reno, NV 89512.
Click here for a full list of Trustees meetings.
Can community members engage at Trustee meetings? Decision-making bodies benefit greatly from hearing public input and multiple perspectives. Currently, members of the public can submit comments on agenda and non-agenda items through email or voice recording. Public comment can be provided in person or via email. Email comments should be submitted to publiccomments@washoeschools.net.
Tuesday, June 27, 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:
- Approval of the award for district-wide middle and high school athletic uniforms
- Approval of the master services agreement with Invo-Progressus Therapy for placement of social workers/safe school professionals for the 2023-24 school year
- Approval of a donation of a food truck for a simulated workplace at Reed High School
Explore the consent agenda here.
Trustees Adopted Resolutions 23-005 – 23-015 to Augment the Fiscal Year 2022-23 Budget, and Approved Augmentation, Adjustment, and Transfers for FY2022-23 Budget
Trustees adopted Resolutions 23-005 (General Fund); 23-006 (English Learners Weighted Fund); 23-007 (Gifted & Talented Weighted Fund); 23-008 (At-Risk Weighted Fund); 23-009 (Special Education Fund); 23-010 (Student Activities Fund); 23-011 (Health Insurance Fund); 23-012 (Nutrition Services Fund); 23-013 (Government Services Tax Fund); 23-014 (2016A Extended Rollover Bonds Fund); and 23-015 (Debt Services Fund). Trustees approved the budget transfers as proposed.
Explore the proposed budget transfers and summary of cross-functional transfers.
Trustees Approved the Fiscal Year 2023-24 Amended Final Budget
Trustees approved the amended final budget for Fiscal Year 2023-24, with updated estimates based on decisions made at the June 13 board meeting. Base per-pupil funding for WCSD has been confirmed at $9,243 (an increase of 26.3%) and incorporated into the budget, as well as pupil information for any associated weights.
The net surplus for the district is estimated at $61 million after decisions from the Trustees to decrease walk zones by 0.25 miles, increase school police coverage at middle schools, eliminate stand-alone principals, add one campus supervisor at each middle school, reserve funds for implementation of the strategic plan, and adopt the Insurance Committee’s recommendation to increase allocations to account for insurance rates rising. A minimum of $10 million was recommended to implement the strategic plan but could include costs beyond that.
Total General Fund revenues are estimated to increase from $524 million to $622.6 million, an increase of 18.8%, due to decreased enrollment and estimated local revenues. The budget also includes considerations for salary and benefit increases (2.2% increase); utility expenses (1.3% increase); and non-discretionary cost (7.1% increase). The $61 million surplus includes these considerations.
Assessments of English Learners, at-risk, and gifted and talented students are ongoing, but the amended budget increases funding by $15.8 million for English Learners; $11.1 million for at-risk students; and $0.1 million for gifted and talented students.
Future build-out will include the result of collective bargaining, strategic plan implementation, weighted funding, and board priorities. Staff will report back on enrollment in the fall and with the unaudited FY23 financial results.
Explore the presentation and the amended final budget.
Trustees Adopted Board Resolution 23-016 – 2023A School Improvement Bond Resolution Authorizing the District to Issue Its General Obligation School Improvement Bonds Not to Exceed $60 Million
The Board adopted Resolution 23-016, authorizing the district to issue its General Obligation School Improvement Bonds, to acquire, construct, improve, and equip school facilities. The amount of the bonds should not exceed $60 million.
Explore the resolution.
Trustees Approved the Award of Bid #23-86-B005-AA – Incline High School Improvements
Trustees approved the award for Incline High School improvements to Plenium Builders in the amount of $27.2 million, fully funded by Fidelity Charitable, a donor-advised fund advised by the Duffield family.
Explore the contract.
Trustees Approved the 2022/23 ‘D’ Major Projects Program
Trustees accepted the recommendation of the WCSD Capital Funding Protection Committee to approve the 2022/23 ‘D’ Major Projects Program in the amount of $98.2 million. The program includes device refreshes for students and teachers, facility improvement and asset management, and additional facility investments.
Explore the WCSD Capital Improvement Program and the presentation.
Trustees Approved the Revised WCSD FY2024-28 Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan
Trustees accepted the recommendation of the WCSD Capital Funding Protection Committee to approve the District’s revised Fiscal Year 2024-28 Capital Improvement Plan.
Review the plan.
Trustees Discussed the Draft Student Behavior Manual for the 2023-24 School Year
New sections include prioritizing safe and respectful learning environments, guiding legislation and District policy, special education section, notification requirements, threat assessments and safety planning, and transitions to and from temporary placements.
Revised sections include how major behaviors are organized, guidance on recommended consequences, and guidance on recommended interventions and supports.
Revisions will be disseminated to schools for review and feedback in July from the board, with the final manual for Board adoption to be heard on September 12. Professional learning will be provided to site administration following adoption. Annual evaluation will take place next summer.
Trustees discussed aligning the manual with law enforcement, discipline processes for sexual misconduct vs. sexual assault, habitual discipline, communication to staff, sending the draft to unions and community members, small group meetings, specific language in the document, translation services, definitions, and more.
Trustees directed the Superintendent to integrate differentiation where possible with age-appropriate responses; additional feedback from staff, Trustees, and labor associations; more parental/guardian involvement; an enhanced introduction statement; review opportunities for clearer delineation between progressive consequences of incidents; and other related guidance from the discussion in the next draft. Small group briefing meetings for Trustees will also be held before this item is heard again.
Explore the draft manual and the presentation.
Trustee Reports
Trustee reports highlights included:
- Graduation/commencement ceremonies
- Staff appreciation
- Spring sports
- Board training and goal setting workshop
- New student representative coming onboard next month
- News interview regarding school safety
Associate Superintendent’s Report
The Associate Superintendent’s report highlights included:
- Next steps on the strategic planning process: over the summer, staff will continue to build out the strategic plan, specifically excellence targets, strategy map with priorities, and implementation road map; updates to the strategic plan will be brought to the Board in August.
- Celebrating 17 graduation ceremonies representing more than 4,000 graduates
The next Meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for July 25, 2023, at 2:00 p.m.
