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Board narrows superintendent process, schedules formal interview of Deputy Superintendent Tiffany McMaster on May 12
Summary
After lengthy public comment and trustee debate about continuity, transparency and cost, the board voted 5–2 to conduct a formal interview of Deputy Superintendent Tiffany McMaster and reserved the option to appoint following the interview; the interview date was set for May 12, 2026.
The Washoe County School District Board of Trustees voted April 14 to conduct a formal interview of Deputy Superintendent Tiffany McMaster as part of the process for filling the superintendent vacancy created by Joe Erns’ announced July 7, 2026 retirement. After sustained public comment asking for an open or internal posting and trustees’ deliberations weighing continuity and cost, the board chose an interview‑first approach and moved the interview to May 12, 2026 to allow trustees time to prepare questions and the community time to provide input.
Chief Human Resources Officer Doug Owen reviewed the legal framework that shapes hiring: NRS 391.10 (board authority to employ a superintendent) and Senate Bill 460 (2025), which added three distinct qualification pathways that a candidate must satisfy (educational leadership, executive/financial leadership or business/management pathways). Owen also summarized Board Policy 9082 (succession planning) and explained that option one (automatic appointment under succession policy) has been used previously, option two (interview then appointment) lets trustees assess an internal candidate, and option three (structured search) engages search firms and typically takes longer and costs more. Owen said search‑firm quotations from prior processes ranged roughly $35k–$100k depending on scope; district staff offered lower‑cost options for local or internal searches.
Deputy Superintendent Tiffany McMaster outlined her 25 years in the district (teacher through principal and senior leadership) and summarized outcomes her office helped lead, including the largest single‑year gains in ELA and math proficiency in district history, expanded early‑learning work, record participation in climate surveys and increased access to advanced coursework. Superintendents and trustees publically praised her operational knowledge and continuity. Many community speakers — parents, teachers, clinicians and elected officials — urged an open process; others urged prioritizing continuity.
After debate the board approved a motion to conduct a formal interview of the deputy superintendent at the May 12, 2026 board meeting and retain authority to appoint the superintendent after the interview; the motion passed 5–2 (Trustees Smith and Westlake opposed). Staff will coordinate board question development, submit required candidate documentation to the Nevada Department of Education for the SB460 qualification review, and work with communications on an outreach plan prior to the interview.
The board explicitly preserved its authority to decide after the interview whether to appoint the candidate as interim or permanent superintendent, to pursue a broader search, or to take other options allowed by law and policy.
