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Trustees delay reclassification of 19 district office positions; board directs superintendent to meet impacted staff
Summary
After public comment and trustee concerns about job duties and qualifications, the board voted 7-0 to continue consideration of item 2.14 to the April 22 meeting and directed the superintendent to consult with impacted employees and return with a recommended action.
The board agreed unanimously to continue action on a proposal to find a "community of interest" under Nevada law and reclassify 19 twelve-month district office positions into the Washoe Professional Technical Association bargaining unit.
Vice President Adam Mayberry moved to continue the item to the April 22 meeting and to direct the superintendent to meet with impacted staff, provide clarity about job duties and qualifications, and return with a recommended action; Trustee Colleen Westlake seconded. The motion passed 7-0.
Nut graf: The item drew multiple public comments and written emails from affected employees. Several staff and a public speaker urged the board to postpone final action until job duties and required qualifications are reviewed in detail so incumbents and the people they support understand the practical implications of a contractual move between bargaining units.
Public comment and staff responses
Amy Barthel, the district's Visual & Performing Arts Coordinator, told the board she had been told by HR that her position would be excluded because she conducts teacher evaluations but urged trustees to review duties before classifying positions. "Evaluation alone does not make this an administrator," Barthel said, adding that other aspects of her job require content expertise and teaching experience.
Chief Human Resources Officer Doug Owen and General Counsel Kevin Pick outlined timing and negotiating considerations. Owen said the district had met with many of the impacted employees and that posting of some administrator positions is already underway; Pick said a community-of-interest finding can affect bargaining and representation and requires careful analysis.
Trustees and staff agreed to take more time to meet employees and return with clarified job descriptions, answers to follow-up questions, and a recommendation for the April 22 meeting.
Ending: The board's continuation preserves the current classification while staff engages directly with affected employees and the bargaining unit to ensure clarity before any final action.
