Edited at 6:30 a.m. to include comments from Dr. Stephens regarding reorganization
During the Churchill County School District Board of Trustees meeting on April 8, 2020, trustees were presented a three-part agenda item to approve the first reading of a revision to policy 4110 that would delete the existing organizational chart of the district, approve restructuring the district-wide administration, and consider grant-funded independent contract work to provide curriculum, CTE, and other services. The reorganization would be effective for the 2020-21 school year.
The second proposal, restructuring the district-wide administration would include eliminating the positions of Director of Maintenance and Director of Educational Services; rename, restructure, and adjust the duties for the Director of Business Services to Accountant/Comptroller; Director of Human Resources to Director of Administrative Services and Operations; Director of Special Services to Director of Learning and Innovation; Director of Transportation to Operations Manager; Dispatcher/Department Secretary to Dispatcher; Garage Manager to Garage Supervisor; and Bus Driver Trainer to Bus Driver Trainer/Supervisor. Also included in the action is the creation and hiring of Inclusive Services Coordinator, Special Programs Coordinator, and filling the Custodial Supervisor position.
Sharla Hales, the attorney for the district, gave an overview of the agenda item saying, “we gave quite a bit of thought on how to agendize the reorganization of district positions.” She said all of the pieces depend on the other pieces, “it is not intended that you will pick and choose among these items but that you would approve all of them or none of them…it is intended that this would be a package.”
There was extensive discussion of this item. Dr. Summer Stephens, superintendent referred the board to the existing organization chart that she is proposing to eliminate, and a new organization chart, both attached to this article. Stephens said the rationale for the reorganization is the result of "many of the duties over time have been placed at the director and superintendent level instead of an integrated structure that allows for us to have collaborative departments." She said the existing structure is not an integrated model, but operated in silos with much opportunity for disconnect. "This is a huge piece that you guys have on your goals when we had our board retreat."
Hales said that one issue is supervisory employees are prevented by NRS from being in the same bargaining unit as employees that they supervise. There may be some supervisory employees that could no longer be part of the same association they may have been in, “but we haven’t done any of that analysis yet, because it would be premature because we don’t really know what these are going to look like yet.”
Keith Boone is the President of the Administrator’s Association and he has some concerns with the policy and the issue of representation. “It looks like the Administrator’s Association would be the most appropriate place for these positions,” said Boone. He also pointed out that they could not belong to the Classified Association because you can’t belong to the same association as people you supervise. Boone did say that “after reviewing this policy and listening to the board meeting online, the student services will be delivered.”
According to Stephens, she reiterated that the efficiency study recently completed by the district with the help of a consultant, did suggest, “that we consider various contracting of services or the coordination of services with other entities.”
The Classified Association president, Gaylene Drinkut said she was not contacted about the proposed changes. “It would have been nice to have been given the professional courtesy of a conversation, we knew nothing about this until we saw it on the agenda.”
Drinkut said there are still many unknowns with the proposal. “I don’t understand how a manager could be paid more than a supervisor, there is still a lot of confusion.” One concern is that while job descriptions can be changed, wages are negotiable with the job duties, especially changes in job duties. “If job duties are added to a position, that has to be negotiated for wages, people should be compensated,” she said.
Stephens said this policy change was not presented to the Policy Committee before it was brought to the board. In an email after the meeting she clarified that, “we took this policy to the whole board, because we thought it was best suited to the whole board for conversation.”
Elena Marsh heads up the Churchill County Education Association and she said, “I don’t have anything to say regarding the reorganization.”
After a two-hour discussion, the board approved the first reading of the policy changes, with trustee Fred Buckmaster the lone no vote.
“I’m just not sold on it, the timing is not good,” said Buckmaster. “I believe we could have picked a better time to work on this.”
The item must come before the board again for a second reading and approval before it can be implemented.
“Change is fine,” said Drinkut, “we all need change, but do it right and with a sound, clear mind and a process.”
More from the board meeting can be read here.
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