Douglas will stay with state school board group for another year

Douglas County School Board trustees renewed the district’s membership with the Nevada Association of School Boards for another year during the Feb. 13 meeting after hearing from Association Executive Director Rick Harris and President Wade Poulsen.

During the Jan. 9 board meeting trustees Katherine Dickerson and Susan Jansen had concerns after attending a NASB conference where topics discussed included; student punishments and consequences, Multi-Tiered System of Support and how the Nevada Association of School Boards continues to support the National Association of School Boards after an incident where parents were labeled as domestic terrorists.

Poulsen said misunderstandings and differences of views happen, but the benefits of NASB and the National Association is about advocacy and being able to come together to discuss those types of conflicts and other concerns school districts might face.

“If we all think alike than no one thinks, that’s one of my favorite sayings,” said Harris, “That’s what we do at NASB is to get in there and to figure out what the best thing is.”

Poulsen said one ongoing conversation at the national level is to push the federal government to pay for school lunches, which started during COVID and Nevada continues to do.

“Feeding kids is one of those things, keeping kids safe is one of those things and that’s a national conversation that we can be part of and if we believe in that, then we can push forward and we can push it for our state too,” said Poulsen

Aside from the advocacy, NASB offers training and mentorship.

“That’s what needs to happen and then after if there’s still concerns, we can come together and talk about it,” said Harris.

Trustee Yvonne Wagstaff made a motion to approve the board’s membership with NASB for one more year, then re-evaluate in February 2025. It was second by Trustee Carey Kangas and approved by the board unanimously.