Washoe County School District 2023 State of Education Address

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) - Superintendent Dr. Susan Enfield took to the stage at Marce Herze Middle School Thursday to deliver a State of Education Address for the Washoe County School District.

In her first such speech, Dr. Enfield went over the priorities outlined when she started as superintendent. These were making sure students are prepared for the future, along with building trust in the community and supporting staff.

Dr. Enfield says there are several challenges that she plans to address in the coming school year. Washoe County is facing staff shortages. While this is true everywhere, the district’s staffing was below projections. She also mentioned the need for more state funding, to make sure staff and students have the resources they need. Dr. Enfield mentioned the need to address school safety, especially given recent headlines.

During the speech, Dr. Enfield also put the spotlight on student achievement. A major part of increasing their success involves improving teacher retention. Starting in July, employees will all be getting healthcare on day 1, no more 90-day waiting period. Washoe County School District is also putting an end to one-year contracts to give staff more stability.

Dr. Enfield says she’s hopeful about the Governor’s proposed increase to school budgets. If passed in the legislature, part of that funding will go in part to paying staff more.

To help with safety, Dr. Enfield says the district is working to fill school police positions. They will also be incorporating a rapid response emergency system within the next few weeks, allowing staff to quickly get help when needed. When it comes to prevention, the superintendent says WCSD will be partnering with a service to get students and staff the mental health care they need.

Washoe County will be working to cut down on the number of assessments. In particular, Dr. Enfield said the district would be eliminating the district algebra final, one of the biggest frustrations voiced by the community.

On the note of graduation rates, the superintendent said that the district is starting to recover from the dip seen during the pandemic. She believes that trajectory will continue to rise in the coming years.

You can watch the full address on the school district’s YouTube page.

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