Several charter school leaders, teachers and consultants used the meeting’s public comment periods to urge the SPCSA board to reconsider the volume and interpretation of compliance requirements and to weigh the human impact of escalated oversight.

Julie Carver, executive director of Southern Nevada Trades High School, told the board that the Epicenter tasks felt punitive and overloaded staff. She asked Epicenter entries that require board approval be flagged so such items “rise to the top” and requested that tasks returned for correction but originally submitted on time be recorded as timely if corrected promptly.

“Tasks that are turned in on time and rejected should be accepted as on time and a new deadline given for resubmission,” Carver said, adding that current practice can result in schools being “double dinged.”

Representatives from Nevada Prep — including teachers Jessica Scott and Veronica Pizarro Ramirez, site director Fred Ross, and external consultants Mark Gardberg and Brian Weeks — described school communities that they said would be harmed by closures or escalations. Ross said Nevada Prep’s completion and compliance rates had improved in the past 30 days and asked the board to revisit the school’s financial framework in a few months when newly available per-pupil funds are reflected.

Ignacio Prado, executive director of Futura Academy and vice chair of the Charter School Association of Nevada, presented broader sector concerns and argued the SPCSA’s interpretation of compliance has grown “from 4% to 38%” rejections across annual reporting tasks in three years. Prado said staff increasingly apply “more arbitrary compliance demand” and urged the board to investigate whether recent stricter enforcement is necessary or appropriately calibrated to statute.

Several speakers framed the debate around student stability: multiple teachers said displaced students suffer academically and socially when schools close, and public commenters asked the board to prioritize continuity for students while still ensuring statutory and safety standards are met.

Board members acknowledged the public comments. Staff responded that Epicenter weekly notices and leadership outreach are part of their monitoring, and said leadership had directed teams to identify which outstanding tasks are statutorily required and which are carryovers; staff said teams would itemize outstanding obligations for schools to prioritize current-year compliance while also flagging federally required past-year items.

Speakers asked the board to consider adjustments such as clearer Epicenter labeling for board-approval items, more nuanced treatment of very short lateness (less than one day), and a formal survey of schools about compliance burden. Ignacio Prado recommended a sector-wide survey; staff said leadership had discussed internal steps and would continue to work with teams to clarify outstanding items.