Washoe County superintendent proposes academic reorganization to align leadership, supports

Superintendent Joe Ernst on Tuesday presented a plan to realign Washoe County School District's academic leadership for the 2025'26 school year, saying the changes are intended to improve instruction and operational efficiency while aligning the district to its strategic plan.

"Most importantly, it's about improving the quality of education that we're providing for our students," Ernst said as he reviewed the proposed structure and the process used to develop it.

The proposal would retitle some senior positions, reorganize functions under a new deputy superintendent of academics and create clearer lines for elementary, secondary and student development. Key changes described by Ernst include converting an existing, vacant chief accountability officer role into an elementary chief academic officer focused on early learning and reclassifying the associate chief of specialized instruction into a chief academic officer of student development and success, with responsibility for behavior supports and specialized schools. The plan also restores the title "area superintendent" for the position that supervises principals at the school-site level.

Ernst told trustees the reorganization was produced after a comprehensive review of organizational capabilities, contract and service duplication, and expected future demands such as the district's Facilities Modernization Plan and a new enterprise resource planning system. He said the changes are intended to improve financial stewardship and long-term sustainability while reclaiming employee time for school-facing work.

Deputy Superintendent Tiffany McMaster and the district's leadership team were cited by Ernst as central to the collaborative design process; he thanked Chief Human Resources Officer Doug Owen, Chief Financial Officer Mark Mathers and other chiefs for their participation. Ernst emphasized the transition would be phased, with formal changes taking effect July 1 and a continued budget review during the FY 2026 budget process.

Ernst said the alignment would be implemented "with no associated cost" at the outset and that, by organizing similar services together, the district anticipates savings through streamlined operations. He described further budget analysis and change management work as part of the next steps and told trustees the reorganization is "the initial phase" of broader organizational change.

Trustees praised the work as the product of extensive listening and analysis. Trustee Smith called the plan "a shining example" of using a long-range plan to respond to community feedback, and Trustee Westlake said the work represented "intensive self reflection" to improve service to students and staff.

The reorganization is presented as an initial step; Ernst said future organizational analyses will follow the same design principles and that staff will monitor, evaluate and adjust the structure through the transition period before the effective date.