Board hears equity initiative update and student discipline report; public commenters clash over equity language

The Nevada Joint Union High School District board on Jan. 15 received an update on the district’s equity initiative and a separate student-discipline report that district leaders said are linked to improving school safety and culture.

Superintendent Andrew Frisella reviewed the district’s strategic goals and described actions under the equity initiative, including management and union leadership training, ethnic-studies training for social science teachers, a land‑acknowledgment policy, a student mural competition and “Healthy Schools” outreach. Frisella said district leaders changed training delivery from several virtual half-days to multiple in‑person sessions after managers reported some material did not land well remotely. He said the training emphasizes technical vs. adaptive leadership, emotional intelligence and a shared language to handle sensitive campus incidents.

Assistant Superintendent Aurora Thompson presented 2023–24 discipline and expulsion statistics. Thompson said suspensions rose after 2021–22; violent incidents (no injury) accounted for the largest share of…