During a board meeting on Tuesday, WCSD Superintendent Susan Enfield requested the addition of two new associate chiefs to the group of five area superintendents, who each oversee principals at about 20 schools. Going forward, area superintendents will also be known as associate chiefs. She’s also looking to hire a special assistant to join her leadership team.
She said the new positions will help the district improve its service delivery and communication.
“When I talk with students, when I talk with staff, when I talk with trustees, when I talk with families and community members at large, there is one, there are a few, but there’s one very, very clear consistent theme. And that is the lack of consistency in practice and implementation of programs across our schools,” she shared.
However, her proposal was met with significant pushback from some of the trustees. District G’s Diane Nicolet was one of them.
“I do not argue with the need at all. The timing is not right and so I can’t support it,” she said.
District B’s Colleen Westlake and District A’s Jeff Church also criticized the request. The three focused on its awkward timing as the district awaits final budget numbers from the Nevada Legislature and develops its new strategic plan. Church and Westlake also questioned why the district is hiring more administrators instead of prioritizing teacher hires.
In response, Enfield reminded them that she had already moved many administrative staff back into classrooms at the start of the school year. She added that the hiring season for school districts is starting now and that she thinks there will still be a need for these roles even after the legislative session and the planning process end.
The trustees approved the positions in a 4-3 vote.
The image included in this story is a screenshot from the Washoe County School District’s Board of Trustees livestreamed meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023. Click here to view the recorded video on YouTube.
Jose Davila IV is a corps member for Report for America, an initiative of the GroundTruth Project.