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Safe and Healthy Schools commission rolls out toolkit, videos and goals for 2025-26
Summary
The Safe and Healthy Schools Commission presented a family-facing safety toolkit, short public-service videos on mental-health and substance-use prevention, and asked the board to approve commission goals for 2025-26; trustees approved the goals unanimously.
Washoe County's Safe and Healthy Schools Commission presented a new online toolkit, a set of short public-service videos for families and educators, and proposed goals for the 2025-26 school year. Trustees gave preliminary approval to the commission's goals by a 7-0 vote May 13.
The commission's toolkit, compiled with the district's Family School Partnerships office, collects resources for families on physical safety, vaping/substance use, digital safety, and social-emotional learning, with bilingual content where available. "We've put together a wealth of information for our families," commission vice chair Annie Zucker said during the presentation, pointing trustees to the district webpage under Family School Partnerships.
Commission activities and video outreach
Chief Student Services Officer Paul LaMarca and Zucker described two years of commission work and the decision to produce videos rather than a single annual safety forum. Communications staff produced short videos aimed at families on topics that commission members identified as high priority: traffic and road safety, suicide prevention/mental health awareness, and substance-use prevention. Paul LaMarca said the goal is to normalize conversations about mental health and point families to school and community resources.
District mental-health partners and local clinics
Brandy Olson, director of psychological services, and Dr. Erica Rist of the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine's Department of Psychiatry, were introduced as long-standing partners who provide co-located clinical services, training and Project ECHO clinics for school staff. "They've consistently worked hard and gone above and beyond to support students, families and school teams," Olson said of the UNR team.
Board response and outcome
Trustees asked how the commission will measure impact. Zucker and LaMarca said the commission reviews data year-round and will work with district staff to connect video and toolkit usage to existing measures such as school climate surveys, training participation and crisis-response data. Trustee Diane Nicolette asked for measurable goals; trustees and staff agreed that the commission will return with data-aligned recommendations and metrics where feasible.
Trustees then unanimously approved the commission's proposed goals for 2025-26, which include continued policy and practice review, teacher training in mental wellness and suicide prevention, continued substance-use prevention work and further development of family-facing informational videos.
Ending
The board and commission emphasized partnership with community providers and intent to expand the toolkit and video library over time; staff said implementation will include posting the toolkit to the district site, promoting it via Family School Partnerships outreach, and bringing measurable recommendations back to the board as programs are implemented.
