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.
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.
Wednesday, July 26, 2023
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
- School start time concerns from school superintendents and Washoe County School District regarding local control vs. state mandates
- Role of Clark County Education Association in the 2023 Legislative Session
President’s Report
- Member Katie Coombs has resigned her position, and her role is eligible for an appointment. This position represents Congressional District 2.
- Member Arrascada provided an update on NSHE: several academic programs were recently approved; several legislative items from the 2023 session impact NSHE staff andstudents; updating CTE credit articulation between the Department of Education and the community college system; and ensuring that college preparatory classes are as rigorous as their college counterparts.
- Superintendent Tate Else of Eureka County is the newest Member of the State Board of Education.
Superintendent’s Report
- Goals and determinations have been set for the Principal’s Advisory Cabinet and Superintendent’s Teacher Advisory Cabinet , and the Superintendent reiterated the importance of these cabinets being engaged. At the meeting, they asked questions about implementation of the legislation passed during the 2023 legislative session.
- School is getting ready to start in the next few weeks. Superintendent Ebert wished everyone a good start to the school year.
Board Approved the Consent Agenda
Highlights included:
- Approval of the Private School Consent Agenda
- Approval of dual credit requests
- Approval of development and design standards
- Meeting minutes
Review the consent agenda.
Board Discussed School Start Time Regulations
The Board discussed a regulation to move high school start times later in the morning, based on research regarding health, academic outcomes, and teenagers’ sleep needs. Members discussed if a potential regulation should apply to specific school districts, taking into account extracurricular activities, seat time minutes, some districts with four-day school weeks, and other situations heard during the public engagement process.
All school districts and public charter schools would fill out a form/questionnaire to determine if such a waiver would be beneficial for the school/school district. The questionnaire will provide information regarding if a school starts before 8:00 a.m., the Board needs to have an understanding of options for later start times for students. Stakeholder input for district will be required. Gradual implementation was also discussed.
Next steps include construction of the regulation and then moving it through the public hearing process.
Board Discussed Class Size Reductions
Each school that exceeds their target pupil-teacher ratio must request a variance for the next quarter of the school year, which can be approved for good cause. Justification must be included in each variance (space/facilities, hiring, funding, etc.), as well as a plan of action. Several schools were identified for class size reduction interventions. Criteria for these schools included performing at the bottom quartile of SBAC proficiency, top quartile of FRL eligibility rates, top quartile of schools serving minorities, schools that applied for a variance from the regular Class Size Reduction Plan, and schools with the most students exceeding the class sizes prescribed by Nevada Revised Statues for Grades K-3.
Explore the presentation (including priority schools).
Board Received a Presentation on the Milken Educator Award Winners
Milken Educator Awards for Nevada were presented to Liz Barnum (Dunn Elementary School), Jason Murray (Drake Elementary School), and Rejily Soriano (West Wendover Elementary School). Each awardee receives $25,000 of unrestricted funds from the Milken Family Foundation Awards.
Review the presentation.
Board Heard an Update Regarding the 2023 Legislative Session and Sponsorship of City and County Charter Schools
The Board received a summary of legislative action relevant to the Department. Base per-pupil funding will be $9,292 for FY24 and $9,754 in FY25. Funding also provided for employee raises and incentives, as well as 17 new positions and one reclassification. AB 400, the Governor’s omnibus education bill, included $70 million for early childhood literacy and readiness, as well as $2 million/FY for the Teacher Advancement Scholarship. Several NDE bills were signed by Governor Lombardo, including AB54 (FRL receivers, reimbursements, and attendance and enrollment language), AB65 (bullying definitions, kindergarten start date, and work-based learning), and SB9 (CTE funding).
Other bills included AB241 and AB274 on graduation requirements, AB399 and AB517 on district accountability and transparency, AB428 on CTE and licensing pathways, and SB442, establishing the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact. School safety was also addressed through AB330 and AB285.
Charter school provisions in AB400 include cities and counties being able to sponsor charter schools. Additionally, charter schools received up to $7 million per year in transportation funding. Read by 3 provisions were also expanded by AB400.
Several bills will require additional work and guidance from the Department, including work-based learning plan approvals, adopting regulations, reporting, and appointments.
Opportunity 180 presented how the city/county charter school authorizer process would be rolled out, via Charter School Program grant technical assistance funds and a competitive RFP process to engage a subject matter expert partner in designing and vetting potential charter school authorizers.
Review the presentation from the Department and the presentation from Opportunity 180.
Board Discussed Professional Development Opportunities for Members
This item was pulled and will be heard at a future meeting. Additionally, an update on Board goals and metrics will be discussed.
Board Discussed Future Agenda Items
Future Agenda Items
Suggestions for future agenda items include an update on the Statewide Plan for the Improvement of Pupils, transportation, accountability, a student advisory board, licensure, and a presentation on NSHE’s institutional research office.
Review the schedule of recurring agenda items.
The next Board of Education meeting is scheduled on Wednesday, September 6, at 2:00 p.m.
