After Washoe County voters rejected school board candidates backed by a far-right activist with deep pockets in June, resulting in three races decided in the primaries, eyes are now on the remaining race for the seat in District G, where a former teacher competes against a technical businessman.

General District G covers the western portion of Washoe County and includes Incline Village. It borders its counterpart, the large District F, and shares schools with Districts A, C, D and E. That means voters in those four adjacent districts can also vote in the District G race.

The seat is currently held by Trustee Diane Nicolet, 72, a longtime teacher who has worked in K-12 and higher education. In 2016, she was temporarily appointed to the seat for nine months and then, after a lapse of her service, was elected to the post in 2020.

Her experience includes serving as director of the EL Cord Foundation Child Care at Truckee Meadows Community College for 24 years. A native of North Dakota, Nicolet is also the mother of Washoe County School District (WCSD) graduates and has lived in the Reno area with her husband for 30 years.

“I am a content expert when it comes to education, both from a business and academic perspective, the emotional, social aspect and family involvement,” she said. “I am the right person at the right time.”

Her challenger, Perry Rosenstein, 39, is a technology businessman turned education advocate who has worked as a substitute teacher for the district. He moved from the Bay Area to Reno about seven years ago with his wife, with whom he shares two (soon to be three) children under the age of five, including one who will be a WCSD kindergarten student next school year.

“I have a lot of skin in the game,” he said. “It’s very personal to me.”

During the primaries, Rosenstein and Nicolet won the primaries with 35 percent and 18 percent of the vote, respectively, defeating five other candidates, including former California schoolteacher Paul White, who was endorsed by GOP donor Robert Beadles and received just 12 percent of the vote. got votes. . After the primary, Beadles paid $50,000 for White’s recount request, which did not change the outcome of the primary. White also requested a hand recount, but that request was denied.

The race creates a rift between the Washoe Education Association (WEA), which says Rosenstein’s technical and business expertise is needed on the board, and current and former school board members who support Nicolet, such as Trustees Adam Mayberry and Colleen Westlake. Assemblywoman Angie Taylor (D-Reno), who previously chaired the board, has endorsed Rosenstein, her campaign manager said, but made a small donation to Nicolet in May, just before Nicolet and Rosenstein emerged atop a seven-person primary campaign. show financial data.

The election comes at a crucial time for the district as it prepares for its next legislative session, which provides an opportunity for school leaders to advocate for increased K-12 education funding as they work to address issues like violence on school and teacher pay.

Mobile phone bans

As some school districts in Nevada begin to implement policies to combat cell phone distractions during class, the WCSD is considering following suit.

This school year, schools in Clark County and Carson City adopted policies limiting cell phone use during class for students in grades 6 through 12.

In August, the Washoe County School Board discussed current district and school policies surrounding cell phones and other electronic devices. WCSD recently launched a survey to gather feedback from families on this topic, and will survey students and staff later this month.

Nicolet recognizes that there is a problem with cell phone use in the district and regularly hears during her school visits that students are constantly carrying their cell phones in class and using them to take videos or post inappropriate messages on social media.

“We have to get a handle on that,” she said.

Nicolet said she is in favor of setting up “reasonable guardrails” around cell phones and other electronic devices so that they do not disrupt students’ learning, but also takes into account the desire of some parents to be able to reach their child in the event of need. .

“We have to respect that, and we have to work with it and figure out what that means,” Nicolet added.

Rosenstein agrees that cell phones can be “a significant source of distraction,” disrupting students’ learning and social-emotional development and preventing them from meaningfully participating in the classroom. He said the district needs a comprehensive cell phone policy that supports student focus and well-being and provides support to teachers at the district level.

Teacher salary

After the 2023 legislative session, the district has increased teacher salaries by 20 percent over the past two school years. This brought the district’s starting teacher salary to $47,000 for a new teacher with a bachelor’s degree, an increase of $6,000 from the 2021-2022 school year.

Still, that falls short of the $55,000 starting salary in Clark County and the $63,000 starting salary in Eureka County.

Rosenstein called the recent increases a step in the right direction, but said more is needed.

“Our teachers and support staff deserve wages that reflect the critical role they play in our community, especially with the rising cost of living in Washoe County,” he said. “If elected, I would advocate for additional funding during the legislative session to ensure we can continue to recruit and retain quality educators.”

Nicolet said she has been calling on state lawmakers behind the scenes to renew the $250 million in matching funding, SB231, which gave additional money to school districts to increase their staff. If these funds are not renewed, the proceeds paid from these SB231 funds will expire after June of next year.

As the next legislative session approaches, Nicolet said she also wants to advocate for increasing per-pupil funding so the district can afford to give even more raises to all of its employees.

“We’re doing great things with the money we have, but it’s not enough,” she said. “So yes, this next term … we will fight to continue to be able to increase how much we need to be able to spend on our students and our employees. It is simply vital.”

Book bans

In June, a group of protesters, including a far-right pastor from out of state, came to the Washoe County School Board and called for books they deemed inappropriate for students to be removed from school libraries.

Nicolet said she is against banning books but agrees that it is the right and responsibility of parents to be aware of what their child is reading and that it is their choice to decide whether they want their child reads certain books.

The district already allows parents to request that their students not finish reading certain books by contacting their child’s principal and librarian.

Meanwhile, Rosenstein said that while he opposes book bans, he believes these issues “often receive too much attention in school board meetings.”

“What my background in business has taught me is that you have to focus on driving impact and results, and for me that means focusing on what will really help our students and teachers succeed,” he said.

School violence and student discipline

The district was one of the proponents of two 2023 bills, AB285 and AB330, that rolled back portions of a 2019 school restorative justice bill, AB168, that placed restrictions on student suspensions and expulsions. Restorative justice in school refers to non-punitive intervention and support provided by the school to improve student behavior and repair any harm caused by students.

Advocates say these practices can help reduce suspensions and expulsions and narrow racial disparities in school discipline.

Nicolet said that while she believes it is “extremely important” to protect students and staff, she is also not in favor of “just throwing children out because they have done something that is not acceptable.”

If students do something “egregious,” she said the district will follow state laws and policies around student discipline.

She said she thinks the two 2023 bills have helped alleviate the student violence issues that schools have faced in the post-COVID era, but said more can still be done to improve school safety to improve. That includes more funding to help districts hire additional police officers, counselors and social workers.

Rosenstein called the 2023 changes a “step in the right direction” and said proper investments in training and support are needed to make restorative justice practices effective rather than a “replacement for responsibility.”

“The big picture: We need to give these changes time to develop before considering further adjustments,” he said. “Constantly changing rules and expectations make it difficult for everyone and prevent us from accurately assessing what works.”

Donors and sympathizers

Rosenstein has significantly outraised Nicolet.

Rosenstein raised about $79,000 between Jan. 1 and June 30, according to his latest campaign finance report Friday afternoon. In addition to the financial support from the teachers union, Rosenstein also lent his campaign about $5,000. Other major donors include family members and Bay Area entrepreneurs.

WEA and its parent organization, the Nevada State Education Association, have donated $9,000 to Rosenstein’s campaign.

WEA President Calen Evans said Rosenstein’s technology background is needed to create a more balanced and diverse board.

“We appreciate and respect the work and time (Nicolet) has put in as a trustee,” he said. “We just felt like having someone with (Rosenstein’s) background, expertise and experience … would help elevate it above what was currently there.”

Meanwhile, Nicolet raised $24,000 from Jan. 1 through Sept. 30, with about $16,000 of that coming from donations or loans to herself, according to her latest campaign finance report.

“I find it hard to ask people for money, and it’s not a comfortable place for me, especially now that things are so expensive,” Nicolet said.

Nicolet’s fellow school board member, Trustee Colleen Westlake, said she supports Nicolet because of Nicolet’s high ethics, her desire to do “great things” for students and her expertise as an educator.

“I honestly don’t know anyone with as much knowledge as her… and I use that all the time when I’m making decisions or advocating for something,” Westlake said.

This story was updated on October 14, 2024 at 3:17 PM to include the endorsement of Assemblywoman Angie Taylor.