Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Washoe trustees approve restart for Encompass Academy under conditions after three 1-star ratings
Loading...
Summary
Trustees voted Nov. 18 to restart Encompass Academy under a new six-year charter contract with conditions including a diagnostic review, stakeholder outreach and an academic consultant; the district cited statutory requirements that limit sponsor discretion after three consecutive 1-star ratings.
The Washoe County School District board on Tuesday approved a plan to restart Encompass Academy under a new charter contract and set conditions intended to stabilize the school after three consecutive 1-star Nevada School Performance Framework ratings.
Area Superintendent Melinda Baker told trustees the district must follow NRS 388A.300 (as amended by SB 460), which requires a sponsor to either terminate or restart a charter that has had three straight 1-star ratings. Staff recommended a restart rather than termination, in part because of demographic and timeline factors and the school's recent improvement on graduation metrics.
Principal Autumn Khan, who described taking school leadership amid low graduation rates and rising transiency, emphasized the turnaround work underway at Encompass. "It is great, great news that we're gonna be a 2 star school next year," Khan said, pointing to higher graduation rates, improved attendance and strengthened school climate measures. Khan also described partnerships with the Boys & Girls Club and a strategy of reaching students earlier in middle school to boost credit attainment.
District staff laid out the conditions trustees approved: a diagnostic review with root-cause analysis and stakeholder input, procurement of an independent academic consultant tailored to needs identified in the review, quarterly progress reporting to district staff, and a requirement that the school notify its learning community within 14 calendar days of the board decision. The district asked the school to meet those conditions by Jan. 30 and to return to the board in April with a proposed restart contract.
Trustee discussion acknowledged frustration that Encompass fell under the statutory requirement even as its graduation metrics were improving; staff and trustees noted the high school NSPF uses lagged data that can obscure recent gains. Trustee Nicolette moved the restart motion with the 14-day stakeholder-communication modification; Trustee Westlake seconded. The motion passed without objection.
Next steps: Encompass will complete the diagnostic review, secure an academic consultant based on identified needs, submit a restart application by the district's expedited timeline, and return to the board in April with a proposed new charter contract for approval.
