Calm Before the Storm

Although the legislative session won’t start until February 4th, there is a significant amount of preliminary work being done by those involved in public policy. The Washoe County School District Board of Trustees adopted a final legislative platform at It’s meeting on Tuesday, January 22nd (watch for more on this next week), the governor’s proposed budget was presented to the Legislative Budget Subcommittee and the State Board of Education held its monthly meeting.

Details of what Governor Sandoval described in his State of the State speech was presented by the Nevada Department of Education staff to the Legislative Budget Subcommittee. He is proposing an additional $135 million directed toward K-12 education over the biennium. The increase is mainly related to ongoing employee salary and benefits but also directs some resources towards education initiatives. The governor is proposing $20 million for Full Day Kindergarten expansion; $14 million for ELL Program Enhancement; $2 million to expand Teach for America in Clark County School District; and $1.5 million Jobs for American’s Graduates. We look forward to working with the legislature as they consider and potentially modify this budget proposal.

The State Board of Education also met to consider several critical issues including the consideration of the Teachers and Leaders Council report which is making recommendations on administrator and teacher evaluations. They also discussed the State Improvement Plan and legislative advocacy plans of the newly-seated State Board.

As you can see, education policy and advocacy activities are ramping up and there will be much more to report in the coming weeks. Keep checking back for more information and pictures.

Governor’s State of the State Address Marks Unofficial Kick Off to Legislative Session

Welcome to the legislative blog for the Washoe County School District.  Nevada’s citizen legislature meets every other year to discuss the state’s budget and make policy changes ultimately intended to improve the quality of life for Nevada residents.  The 77^th legislative session begins February 4, 2013 and is scheduled to conclude after 120 days on June 3, 2013.  This statutorily limited time period creates an intense and exciting time for Nevada citizens and groups to eliminate barriers and adjust the law to best meet our needs.

Washoe County School District (WCSD) plays a key role in the legislative process as a majority of the state’s budget goes to support education.  As the second largest school district in the state, serving approximately  63,000 children, any educational or financial policy change stands to have a significant impact on the district.  We participate in formal committees providing official testimony on behalf of WCSD as well as more informal policy discussions about how to achieve the best possible student outcomes.  We work to develop many key relationships  and serve to act as a reliable source of information with our state’s policymakers.

The Washoe County School District Board of Trustees will adopt a legislative platform that reflects its vision for our children and supports policies that will help us in achieving the goals set forth in Envision WCSD 2015 – Investing In Our Future, our strategic plan.  

While the legislative session doesn’t legally begin until February, the Governor’s State of the State address is generally accepted as the unofficial kickoff to the biennial policy debates.  The Governor made it clear during his speech on Wednesday evening (January 16) that education is one of his top priorities.  He announced that his proposed budget includes additional funding for a limited

expansion of full day kindergarten, programs for English Language Learners (ELL) and a statewide longitudinal database program.  The WCSD budget analysts are currently reviewing and analyzing the Governor’s budget for the impact on our district and we will know more in the coming weeks.  The Governor’s budget will be reviewed in detail by both the Senate Finance and Assembly Ways and Means committees, and there could be significant modifications by the time the final budget is approved.  We will continue to monitor those discussions closely and keep you posted on any significant developments.

Other likely areas of heavy discussion will be around early literacy initiatives, including social promotion and reading by third grade, as well as professional development and assessment alignment.   Please continue to monitor this blog for regular updates as the legislative session unfolds, and we all work hard to achieve our goal of Every Child, By Name and Face, To Graduation.