Washoe County School Board advances four finalists to interview for District C vacancy

The Washoe County School District Board of Trustees on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, voted 6-0 to advance four applicants to final interviews as candidates to fill the District C vacancy created by Trustee Joseph Rodriguez’s election to the Sparks City Council.

The board, meeting at the University of Nevada, Reno, selected Felipe Escamilla, James “JJ” Phoenix, Marcus Hodges and Jason Bushey to proceed to finalist interviews scheduled for Jan. 14. President Beth Smith read the board’s public process at the start of the item and told applicants, “Each applicant will have an opportunity for up to 5 minutes to address the board,” language the board repeated throughout the appointment process.

Why this matters: The board is filling a trustee seat for Ward/District C. Under Nevada law the board may consider the character, competence and misconduct of applicants as it fills vacancies (NRS 241.033) and may take administrative action under NRS 241.034, language that appeared in the agenda staff report and was read into the record. The appointment will shape policy oversight for the district until the seat next stands for election.

Board process and outcome The board opened item 2.01 by reading the posted criteria and a list of legally qualified applicants; one applicant, Tracy Thomas, withdrew her application on Jan. 1, 2025 and was removed from consideration. Trustees then heard brief presentations from eight remaining applicants: Monica Lehman; Bruce Parks; Tim (Timothy) Zisk; James “JJ” Phoenix; Jason Bushey; Marcus Hodges; Felipe Escamilla; and Tamara Oswald. After public comment and a short recess used to collect anonymous point rankings, the board took a public motion to advance finalists.

Trustee Alex Woodley moved to advance four candidates — Jason Bushey, Felipe Escamilla, Marcus Hodges and James Phoenix — to the next round; the motion was seconded and passed on a 6-0 recorded vote. President Beth Smith announced the result, saying, “We have 4 finalists selected for the next round.” The board clerk read the point totals that trustees used as a guidance step: Jason Bushey 7, Felipe Escamilla 11, Marcus Hodges 5, Monica Lehman 1, Tamara Oswald 1, James Phoenix 11. Board leaders emphasized the point totals were advisory and that the formal decision will be made in public following finalist interviews.

Public comment and recurring themes During the public-comment periods speakers urged the board to prioritize academic outcomes and to change meeting procedures. Todd Bailey, speaking on behalf of the Committee to Fix Washoe Schools, recommended five finalists and urged the district to act on its land‑acknowledgement commitments. Other public commenters raised repeatedly: the district’s statewide academic ranking (speakers noted Nevada’s low performance), teacher recruitment and retention, literacy and basic skills, school safety, student substance use, chronic absenteeism, and the timing and accessibility of public comment at board meetings. Representative public comments included, "All 5 of these candidates are the most qualified to serve on Washoe County School Board to represent District C," (Todd Bailey) and criticism that public comment at the end of long meetings limits community participation (multiple commenters).

Next steps The board clerk said finalists would receive follow-up information by email. Final interviews are scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, with the special meeting at 9 a.m.; the board also noted the regular meeting begins later that day at 2 p.m. Trustees told finalists they could be considered for appointment at the Jan. 14 meeting and, if appointed, would immediately assume duties and attend the regular meeting that afternoon.

Votes at a glance Motion: Advance finalists for District C to the Jan. 14 finalist interviews (Jason Bushey, Felipe Escamilla, Marcus Hodges, James Phoenix). Outcome: approved 6-0.

What the board said about candidates Several trustees praised the applicant pool’s diversity of experience — including veterans, former educators and tribal leaders — and highlighted priorities trustees said they sought in a new member: respect for governance and law, support for district employees, an ability to collaborate, and a focus on student outcomes. President Beth Smith thanked all applicants for stepping forward and told them the process would be transparent at every step.

Context and limitations The board repeatedly stated that the 3-2-1 point exercise used prior to deliberation was advisory only and that points would not carry forward to the final interview stage. The agenda item cited Nevada Revised Statutes governing open meeting considerations for candidate evaluation (NRS 241.033 and NRS 241.034). No final appointment was made at the Jan. 7 meeting; the board will interview finalists and may take appointment action on Jan. 14.