By Susan Elbe
Zephyr staff
posted on October 11, 2000

Every two years, half of the Washoe County School District Board of Trustee seats are up for election. Whoever is elected can collectively change the course of education in Washoe County.

Old Huffaker School now located in the Bartley Ranch Recreational Park off of Lakeside Drive in Reno. Photo by Susan Elbe.

This November, a diverse group of Washoe County citizens are competing for the four seats including a reelection bid by the current board president.

The seven school board members can adopt, amend or suspend all district policies, bylaws and administrative regulations. Leading to the general election, each of the candidates is attending board meetings, which are every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Usually held in the Board Room at the district's main office at 425 E. Ninth St. in Reno, the meetings are open to the general public.

Information concerning the current board members and district activities can be obtained by browsing the WCSD's Web site www.washoe.k12.nv.us.

Past issues addressed by the school board include what should be taught in sex education and to what ages, and the discontinuing of a textbook pilot program, in part, due to story content such as witches at Halloween. Although rezoning for the new high schools has brought a great deal of public interest of late, only one of the candidates approached the subject.

This year's candidates consistently mentioned student achievement, fiscal accountability and meeting the current board's initiative of becoming a "world class school district."

This package contains interviews with each of the school board candidates. To read about the individual candidates, select a name in the box below.

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Copyright 2000 Zephyr