Board adopts legislative platform and endorses collaborative NAS ‘invest’ agenda; trustees outline bill‑draft process

The Washoe County School District board unanimously adopted its legislative platform on May 26 and directed the superintendent to update the document based on trustee feedback. The board also discussed a companion statewide package developed by the Nevada Association of Superintendents (NAS) — an ‘invest’ platform that prioritizes funding stability, refinement of SB460, and pre-K policy.

Dylan Shaver, the district’s intergovernmental relations contractor with Pinion Public Affairs, told trustees the platform serves as a concise guide for the superintendent and staff during the legislative session and should be timely, strategic and aligned to the district’s priorities. He summarized the district’s four planks: modern education, creating opportunities for students, strategic and sustainable funding, and supporting personnel.

Trustees and stakeholders suggested several refinements during the discussion: (1) stronger language addressing special education and weighted funding categories; (2) attention to chronic absenteeism framed as a product-demand problem rather than simply nonattendance; (3) clarification or refinement to SB460 and treatment of assessment/provider choices (Trustee concerns included whether a single vendor would be implicitly preferred under existing law); and (4) student data privacy and technology safety language.

Shaver outlined the bill-draft request process: the district solicited ideas across departments (27 proposals this cycle), staff will package and prioritize concepts over the summer with the new superintendent, and the board will select the single district BDR by late August/early September. He noted there are other pathways—partnering with a friendly legislator or amending other vehicles—if district priorities align with broader proposals.

Public commenters thanked the board for fiscal work and urged greater attention to student data privacy, reduced device reliance in early grades and mental-health investments. Trustees emphasized the need to work with statewide partners (NAS, Nevada School Boards Association) and higher-education partners to pursue multi-year solutions.

What’s next: Staff will update the platform as directed, continue stakeholder outreach, refine BDR options and return to the board with a prioritized recommendation for formal submission.