News - December 9, 2016 - by Ray Hagar
With the November passage of the WC-1 ballot question, Washoe County School Board President Angie Taylor said Job One for the district will be ending the potential of double sessions in local schools.
In November, Washoe County voters OKed increasing local sales tax half-a-penny to raise $780 million for school improvements in the next 10 years.
"Avoid double sessions," Taylor said when asked her top priority now that the ballot question was approved.
"That means you focus on Damonte Ranch High School first and (continue with other possible) double session high schools and middle schools.
'At the elementary level, (focus on) South Meadows and the North Valleys. That is where the grown is," Taylor said.
Earlier this year, the school board approved regulations that could lead to double sessions at four middle schools and four high schools. If double sessions were to be put in place, one group of students would start classes at 6 a.m. while a second set of students would not finish class until 6 p.m.
Taylor said the money from the ballot question will help erase many issues the district struggles with now.
"I am most excited about building schools," Taylor said. "There is no question about that. We have classrooms that have 42 kids in them. We have classes in portables that are over 40 years old and don't have restroom in them. They (students) have to change classes and go outside. We have kids in classes in rooms that used to be boiler rooms. We had to get rid of computer labs. That does not make me feel good at all."
Taylor's comments about avoiding double sessions came during a taping of Nevada Newsmakers.
Taylor also defended the board-approved deal that gave Washoe Superintendent Traci Davis a $311,000 annual contract.
Taylor also said the school board has ironed out issues that led to three violations of the Nevada open-meeting law since 2014.
The school board approved the contract of Davis a year ago that included a $238,000 starting salary and an $800-per-month allowance for use of her personal car. Some community members have voiced concern over the contract as excessive.
Taylor said on Newsmakers that former Reno Mayor Bob Cashell was critical of Davis' car allowance. Taylor said the contract and car allowance was appropriate compensation.
"When you look at a superintendent of a district that has 65,000 kids, that is the largest employer in the county with 9,000 employees, oversees a budget of over $750 million and has a responsibility for keeping warm, safe and dry our most precious commodity, which is our kids, for the scope of a job like that, it would absolutely speak to $238,000 (starting salary)," Taylor said.
"When you look at the national average for a district our size, it (Davis' contract) is well below the national average," Taylor said. "So we are not leading the industry, we are in there, market wise, and maybe even a little bit below. I would say from a competitive standpoint ... we are going to get who we pay for. And this is not the job you want to low-ball."
Taylor said the $800 a month in a car allowance doesn't cover all the costs, when considering a monthly car-loan payment of $400 and $300 more in gas.
"We're already at $700 and that is no insurance, that is no maintenance, that's no registration."
On the boards gaffe's with the open-meeting law, Taylor said the board was only following the advice of its lawyer. Since those gaffes, the board has new legal counsel. The board and its staff has also been through "detailed" open-meeting law training, Taylor said.
"We said, 'how many times can this get us? Let's fix it.'"
