LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Nevada's lieutenant governor will request legislation to "modernize and professionalize" statewide school boards, to be considered during the 2023 legislative session.
Lt. Gov. Lisa Cano Burkhead proposed the following changes to how school boards are structured:
- The school board president, who sets the agenda to govern the other trustees, would now be appointed by each county commission. Currently, in Clark County, school board trustees vote to elect their own president from among their members.
- Each incorporated city with more than 75,000 residents would get to appoint an additional member to the county's school board. "This would ensure that there is an advocate on the school board that can bring the voice and perspective of their community's families," the lieutenant governor's office stated in a press release announcing the planned legislation.
Currently, school board members are elected by constituents in each county district.
This legislation would result in an additional four members on the Clark County School District Board of Trustees: the president, appointed by the county commission, and three additional trustees, each appointed by the cities of Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, and Henderson.
The proposal would add three members to the Washoe County School Board and one member to the remaining 15 school boards across the state, the lieutenant governor's office noted.
"When I accepted my appointment, I told Nevada families that it is my mission to be a voice at the table for students, parents and educators," said Cano Burkhead, a former teacher. "Today, I'm putting those words into action and submitting a path to professionalize and modernize our school boards so that we have more education experts to act in the best interests of our students."
"We have high expectations for our kids, and our teachers work hard day-in and day-out with our kids to meet those expectations. It's time we have those same expectations of our school boards, because leadership matters," the lieutenant governor added.
