School Start Time Public Comment

We heard from various Clark County School District officials during the public comment period, such as the Executive director of transportation, the CCSD’s chief operating officer, the CCSD general council, and more. CCSD’s general council, Luke Pushing, asked, “By what authority are you going to disrupt the fifth largest school district?” We also heard from many superintendents, all voicing their opposition to the regulation. All cite it to be a local control issue. We heard from two CCSD police officers that pushing back school start times will be dangerous for kids on the road; however, some studies show that having a later start time can reduce the number of car crashes. 

Contrary to many previous comments from students, we received many public comments from students saying they don’t believe this regulation should go into effect. These public comments came from schools on the four-day school week, specifically Spring Creek HS. They say that because of the length of their day, they would get out of school at an unreasonable time. However, in the proposed regulation, the State Board has included a waiver system. Although it has not been officially created yet, according to the Board’s discussions, a four-day school week would be a reason for a waiver.

On the other hand, we heard from Sherri Roos, a parent and member of Start Schools Later. She notes that “This is not a matter of local control but of public health and well-being.” She said that sleep is just as important as air, water, and food, and you cannot educate sleep-deprived youth. She was using the metaphor of being unable to build a house on a bad foundation.

School Start Time Board Discussion

During this meeting, the State Board of Education voted to forward the draft regulation to the Legislative Council Beuro with the change of the implementation year to the 25/26 school year, where they will make final adjustments and put it into formal regulation. When the State Board receives the official language, they will host a regulation hearing where changes can be made. This will probably happen no earlier then December. If approved by the Board, it will be sent to the Legislative Commission, which will review it and solidify it as an official regulation. It is important to note that this does not mean it is put into effect, no regulation has become offical yet.

Through the want of more public input, the Board also agreed that they would host a state-wide community survey to solidify their understanding of the public’s opinions on this problem. I also suggested that we make some sort of informational campaign so that community members can truly understand what this regulation does and doesn’t. Member Carlton presented that because we are moving forward with this regulation, the Board is finally starting to get people’s attention and opinions; therefore, we plan on moving forward with the regulation process while simultaneously hosting the survey. View the regulation language here.

State Student Advisory Board

During the meeting, I was able to present a proposal to form a State Student Advisory Board. I had gotten this idea from one of Pennsylvania’s Student Members and thought it would be a great thing to do in Nevada. Some benefits I presented were: diverse perspectives, real-world learning, inclusivity, accountability, fostering civic engagement, and transparent governance. It was decided that it would be formed under Superintendent Ebert’s authority. I am working with Superintendent Ebert and CSO Lisa Ford to bring this vision to life. View the document presented here.

Read by Grade 3, MAP Assessment Data, and Star Ratings

The Board received a presentation on the Read by Grade 3 program and MAP Assessment Data for the past few years. Additionally, we learned more about school Star ratings and how they are found. Both elementary schools and middle schools get their star rating based on academic achievement, growth, English language proficiency, closing opportunity gaps, and student engagement. While in high school, it is based on academic achievement, graduation rates, English language proficiency, college and career readiness, and student engagement. View the entire presentation on Read by Grade 3 and Map Assessment data here. View the entire presentation on Star ratings here.

NSHE College Dashboard

The Board got a presentation on NSHE’s (Nevada System of Higher Education) new College Dashboard. It is very in-depth and is interesting to explore. It includes the number of Nevada HS graduates, where Nevada High School Graduates go after graduation, NSHE capture rate, and more. You can find the dashboard here. You can find the presentation here.

You can find the entire meeting materials HERE. You can also watch a full recording of the meeting HERE. The next meeting will be held on November 1st at 2 p.m.