Because of a new state law, two of the four open seats on the Washoe County school board were decided in Tuesday's primary. Reno Public Radio's Michelle Billman explains.
Candidates who get more than 50 percent of the primary votes are declared winners and don't have to go to the general election. That happened for Incumbent Angie Taylor in District E and newcomer Scott Kelley in District A.
Taylor was appointed to the board at the end of 2014 and says her leadership since then has sparked real change.
"A lot of the things that have plagued the board, haven't occurred. We're doing better in terms of open meeting law; we're doing better in terms of being transparent; we're doing better in terms of connecting with our community."
Scott Kelley is public information officer for the Governor's Office of Energy. He says the board still has a long way to go.
"Well, I think rebuilding trust between the school board and the community is absolutely critical. One of the best ways to do that is to have school board meetings at different times in different locations. Let's give parents, teachers, and business people the chance to hear the deliberation and make their voices heard."
For District G, former Washoe County Manager Katy Simon Holland and Bill Horn, the former manager for the Incline Village General Improvement District, will advance. For District D, former trustee Ken Grein will face non-profit consultant Malena Raymond in November.