The Washoe County School Board of Trustees on Tuesday heard an update on the school district’s legislative agenda for the 2025 legislative session, which begins Feb. 3, 2025.
WCSD consultant Dylan Shaver said there are two big topics to be considered.
The first concerns limiting testing requirements, and the second concerns “loopholes” within which state-funded charter schools can operate.
Other topics include asking the legislature to fund schools based on legally mandated class sizes, providing money for universal school lunches and removing unfunded mandates.
Board President Beth Smith asked that adjusting board compensation be added to the docket. Trustees are given $750 per month or $9,000 a year for their service.
Smith did not suggest what the compensation should be changed to, only that it should be adjusted because she said the board members need to be valued more. “It’s something we need to start raising at some level,” she said.
Trustee Colleen Westlake said she never considered compensation for herself but agreed to raise it so the school district might attract younger people who would not be able to hold the position otherwise.
Trustee Jeff Church agreed, saying being a trustee is a full-time job, and if they were only paid minimum wage, they’d at least be making around $2,000 per month. He said county and city council members make significantly more, ranging from $80,000 to $150,000 annually, though he added trustees aren’t asking for that.
Trustee Diane Nicolet said she disagreed with adjusting wages and said the money should go to the classrooms.
Shaver said that adding in compensation discussions could be a challenge as public officials are often reluctant to vote to increase their pay in front of their constituents.
Smith said that’s why she wants to avoid including an amount and instead allow decisions about compensation to be placed under local control.
Trustee Joe Rodriguez said he would like to consider asking for additional jurisdiction for school police so they can investigate issues involving students off campus. Trustees Alex Woodley and Church said they agreed “wholeheartedly,” but Nicolet cautioned that the opinion of the school police should be sought first before moving forward.
Shaver said they’d be able to add language to the plan and that they would also speak with the school police chief as part of the process.
Shaver also suggested that school testing should be limited. “Too much instructional time is spent on student assessment, and state-mandated testing overlaps with local priorities. We should reclaim this time to focus better on student outcomes.”
Collective bargaining agreement approved
The trustees also approved a collective bargaining agreement with the recently formed School Psychologist Association of Washoe (SPAW) and WCSD.
There are 51 licensed school psychologists serving more than 100 schools within the district, and they opted to form their own collective bargaining unit earlier this summer.
The agreement is for a term of three years and includes a total 16.75% cost-of-living adjustment increase over four years. Psychologists will also receive retroactive cost-of-living adjustments and future raises.
The agreement also outlined a new grievance process, among other changes.
Kevin Pick, WCSD’s general counsel, said negotiations with the psychologists were “enormously positive and collaborative.”
Scott Barclay, the group’s president, said there is a shortage of school psychologists in the area and nationwide, and they must wear many hats.
“Our jobs are helping socially and academically, as well as evaluating children for special education eligibility and services and also helping to design those interventions,” he said. “But we go far beyond. We are available for all children, especially with the mental health and behavioral components. We meet with school teams weekly, we meet with parents … We have to play a lot of different roles.”
Superintendent Joe Ernst called school psychologists’ work critical and thanked both groups for participating in negotiations. Trustees approved the contract, which will be valid through 2027.
