The Kenny Guinn Center for Policy Priorities hosted a public forum in Reno Tuesday evening. Candidates running for a number of state and local education boards had the opportunity to share their ideas. Our reporter Bob Conrad was at the event and debriefed Anh Gray about the issues.
KUNR’s Bob Conrad says a big concern for the candidates is how Northern Nevada’s changing economy is impacting education. Conrad says many of the candidates acknowledged that the region's economy is diversifying and transforming the state's future workforce demands.
“They also noted that basically 80 percent of the jobs coming up in the future are not going to require a four-year-degree," Conrad explains. "So there was a lot of emphasis on public education and the community colleges and how can we ensure that there is adequate funding for both of those.”
Voters will have to make lots of decisions during this election regarding education leadership. Candidates are seeking positions for the following boards: The Nevada State Board of Education, the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education and also the Washoe County School Board has three seats to fill.