Carson City Schools Foundation bylaws amended to clarify board roles

John Hager, president of the Carson City Schools Foundation, told the Carson City School District Board of Trustees on Aug. 12 that the foundation received $35,000 in donations in 2024 and is asking the district to approve amendments to the foundation’s bylaws.

Why it matters: The board vote clarifies governance boundaries between the foundation and the elected trustees and formalizes how the district and foundation interact on school-support decisions.

Hager said the foundation received $35,000 in donations in 2024, including about $9,000 in payroll deductions and $10,000 from Southwest Gas, and that the group received an additional $25,000 this year from a donor who asked to remain anonymous and designated the gift for the AP program. Hager described how the foundation allocated roughly $67,000 to programs: $25,000 toward AP testing costs, $10,000 for the Jump Start program (books and materials), $20,000 for department and mini-grants for teachers, and $8,000 for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) distributed to elementary and middle schools. He also described a $2,500 allocation to establish a student “clothes closet” at the high school to provide free clothing and a dressing-room-style setup for students applying for jobs.

Hager and Casey Gillis, treasurer of the foundation, asked the district to approve revised foundation bylaws that explicitly list the board president and the superintendent as ex officio, nonvoting members. Hager said that change was made at the district’s recommendation and “just to try to keep that separation.” Gillis added that the foundation has assigned each foundation board member to a specific school to improve communication and that mini-grant application windows will open in the fall and again in mid-December to mid-January.

Trustee discussion was limited. Trustee Walker moved to approve the amendments; Trustee Barnard seconded. The board voted in favor; the motion carried.

The foundation provided the board with the foundation’s annual report and IRS-related grant summary for 2024. Hager said the foundation routes grant funds through the district grants department to handle bookkeeping and eligibility assessments for programs such as Jump Start. The trustees did not request additional conditions for the amendment but asked for the foundation’s school-assignment list to be distributed through district staff.

The amendment approval allows the foundation to proceed under the clarified governance language and continue funding the programs described in the packet.