Nevada Ed-Watch: Washoe County School District 6/23/26

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. 9^th 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 23, 2026

Washoe County School District Board of Trustees Meeting

Click here to see the meeting agenda.
Watch the meeting playback.

Trustees Approved the Consent Agenda

Consent agenda highlights include:

• Approval of the potential agreement between the Washoe County School District and the American School for the Deaf, PACES Residential Treatment Program
• Approval of the payment for Washoe County P25 Radio System Interlocal Agreement in the amount of $339,038.48
• Several facilities and RFP items

Explore the consent agenda here.

Trustees Received a Presentation and Approved the New Restart Charter Contract with Sierra Nevada Academy Charter Schools (SNACS)

Trustees received a follow-up presentation and approved a new restart charter contract with Sierra Nevada Academy Charter Schools (SNACs) which includes clearly defined termination terms based on the SNACS performance management plan and education consultant recommendations including: a requirement to earn a minimum of 27 points on the Nevada State Performance Framework (star rating system), an improvement of index points based on staff recommendations, to include no delays on deliverables at any point within the next two years, and a gradual increase in the sponsorship fee annually by 2% increase in fees over the next two years.

Explore the presentation.

Trustees Approved the Award for Employee Health Benefits Administration.

Trustees received a presentation and approved a contract for employee health benefits to Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Nevada (Anthem) for a term of 5 years beginning January 1, 2027 and ending December 31, 2032 in the estimated amount of $15,569,289.12.

Highlights of the process include:

•     Several negotiations and trainings occurred between March 19th and May 2026 to finalize negotiations before landing on Anthem as a partner.
•     Anthem was selected out of UMR, Kaiser, and Prominence following a proposal and finalist interview with each program.
•     A key benefit that was identified was Wellness Engagement, which in addition to health education, provides preventative care for employees.

Explore the presentation.

Trustees Approved the Washoe County School District Fiscal Years 2027-2037, Revised 10-Year Capital Improvement Plan

Trustees approved the Washoe County School District fiscal years 2027-2037, revised 10-year Capital Improvement Plan Recommendations of the Capital Funding Protection Committee from their meeting on June 11,2026, and directed the superintendent to submit a 5-year Capital Improvement Plan to the Nevada Department of Taxation, the Washoe County Debt Management Commission as required by state law, based on this 10-year plan.

Highlights of the June 11th presentation included:

•     Community input on the development of the CIP, including from students, staff, families, alumni, and other community stakeholders.
•     The CIP process was iterative with several committee or Capital Funding Protection Committee (CFPC) and board meetings occurring between April 9th and June 9th. Staff were briefed and provided feedback before the draft CIP was presented in a public meeting. 
•     Major project scope changes included: 

o  Increase in budget and scope by $70-90 million each for the reconstruction of Sparks Middle School and Elementary on Traner Campus 

o   Booth Elementary reconstruction for $65 million. 

o   Full rebuild and structural replacement of the Wooster Campus (timeline: FY27-33) (Budget & Scope increased to $165.2 million).

o   Budget decrease of $108 million for Administrative/Central Services Offices, with savings being reallocated to the school projects above.

Explore the presentation.

Trustees Received a Presentation on the Administrative Facilities Master Plan Study Progress and Approved Action to Remove the Earl Wooster High School Location from Consideration as Part of the Administrative Facilities Master Plan

The trustees reviewed an update on the Administrative Facilities Master Plan. They decided to remove Earl Wooster High School from consideration. They also directed staff to look for existing commercial buildings that could house all administrative staff together, or, if not, in the same building but separate from high school students. Staff will report back with options for purchasing suitable properties that meet the criteria mentioned. If none are found after six months, the board will consider using the 425 E. Ninth Street site and nearby parcels to build a new consolidated administrative facility.

Highlights of the presentation included:

•     Fundamental surveying of the communities for both the 9th Street and Wooster Campuses alongside quantitative analysis across the four major factors of: Accelerate time to benefits, minimize disruption to students, staff, and community, support operations efficiency, and fiscal responsibility.
•     Construction demonstrated less stakeholder complexity and schedule variability at the 9th Street site compared to the Wooster site.
•     The final recommendation results in Wooster being removed from consideration as part of the Administrative Facilities Master Plan and proceeding with 425 Ninth Street if no suitable commercial option is found in addition to exploring existing commercial properties for consolidation and returning to the board with a purchase recommendation.

Explore the presentation.

The Board of Trustees Received a Presentation and Approved to Proceed with External Reuse Evaluation for Old Stead Elementary School

The board of trustees received a presentation and approved to proceed with external reuse evaluation for Old Stead Elementary School in accordance with board policy 7086, the reuse & disposition framework for closed schools, Nevada Revised Statute Chapter 393, and Nevada Revised Statute Chapter 277.

Highlights of the presentation included:

•     The historic Old Stead building was built in the mid 1950's and was one of the first projects initially considered for renovations in the 2023 Facilities Modernization Plan projects.
•     The New Stead Elementary school will welcome students in August 2026 and will be built on a nearby property down the street.
•     The approved reuse or sale will be one that 1) serves youth through another governmental entity or nonprofit 2) serves adults, including WCSD staff through another governmental entity or nonprofit, 3) Open-market sale or lease through public process.

Explore the presentation.

The Board of Trustees Received a Presentation and Approved the 2025/2026 'D' Major Projects Program for the Fiscal Year 2027 Capital Renewal Projects

The Board of Trustees received a presentation and approved the 2025/2026 'D' Major Project Program for the Fiscal Year 2027 Capital Renewal Projects throughout the Washoe County School District and the design phase funding for the Sparks Middle School Reconstruction Project, as recommended by the Capital Funding Protection Committee in the Amount of $51,000,000.

Highlights of the presentation included:

• Capital Projects has designed and bid over 100 projects over the past fiscal year, with a construction cost of approximately $129,715,671.
•     These projects are factoring in that Sparks and Traner MS are projected to see a major decline in 10-year enrollment from Sparks (611 enrolled -> 361 enrolled) and Traner (555 enrolled -> 292 enrolled).
•     The project schedule is as follows:

o   Request full design phase funding (Fall 2026)

o   Anticipated construction funding request (Spring 2027)

o   Anticipated construction starts (Summer 2027)

o   Anticipated school opening (Fall 2029)

Explore the presentation.

The Board of Trustees Approved the Washoe County School District Board Resolution 26-018

The Board of Trustees approved the Washoe County School District Board Resolution 26-018, a 2026C School Improvement Bond Resolution authorizing the Washoe County School District to issue general obligation (limited tax) school improvement bonds, series 2026C, in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $50,000,000 to be used to finance the fiscal year 2027 Capital Renewal Program.

Explore the resolution.

Trustee Reports

Report highlights included:

• Trustees shared their thanks to Superintendent Ernst for his service to the district as he exits his role. 

Superintendent Report

Report highlights included:

• Superintendent Ernst shared his appreciation for the opportunity to serve WCSD and the work they were able to accomplish.  

   

  The next Meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for July 23rd, 2026, at 2:00 p.m.