DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. – Trustee David Burns rendered his resignation last week as the Douglas County School Board continues to grapple with the financial emergency that has led to layoffs and discussions about school closures. 

According to an email sent to the district by Burns on January 21, he says his resignation is “due to diabetic health issues” and a recommendation by his endocrinologist that he resign from his position. He left the last board meeting early due to illness.

To whom it may concern:
Due to diabetic health issues and a Letter from my Endocrinologist stating that he “highly recommend for me to resign from my position as Trustee”, I officially resign as of today, 1/21/2026. In all fairness to Mr. Alvarado and board of trustees, which will need to have the best and most attention for the difficult situation the District is in, I am stepping down. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.
David M. Burns

“In all fairness to Mr. Alvarado and board of trustees, which will need to have the best and most attention for the difficult situation the District is in, I am stepping down,” the letter reads. “I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.” 

Burns won the seat in 2022 along with Trustee Susan Jansen and former trustee Katherine Dickerson, who joined together with former trustee Doug Englekirk to form a majority board that set out to completely restructure education in Douglas County. 

While the education curriculum itself may not have been significantly changed, the district itself definitely was. During Burns’ tenure, the district was plagued by years of major controversies, lawsuits, the resignation of multiple staff members, and, now, the financial emergency the district is currently in. 

Burns was center to his own controversy after posting an opinion piece in the online blog “The Nevada Globe,” entitled Opinion: Dear DCSD Redshirts, We Will NOT Resign in which he levied insults and accusations against the organization “We Deserve a Better Board” (the ‘Redshirts’ Burns addressed) as well as named individuals he felt were personally working against himself and the board majority. 

This led to calls for a censure, and the organization responded with its own address: 

Burns’ announcement follows Dickerson’s resignation, which took place in November. She stated that her resignation was due to a family illness that needed her full attention. 

Doug Englekirk was unseated by Erinn Miller in the November 2024 election, which leaves Trustee Jansen as the sole remaining member of the coalition that sought to shake up the Douglas County School District.

The board will discuss accepting Burns’ resignation letter during today’s meeting. The District will advertise this vacant District 7 seat and will interview and possibly appoint a new trustee at the February 26, 2026, board meeting. If appointed, the appointed member will serve the remainder of Burn’s term to December 31, 2026.

School Consolidations

The board will also discuss school consolidation scenarios as well as cost-saving analyses associated with them. 

While consolidation of Whittell High School and Zephyr Cove Elementary was discussed, Superintendent Frankie Alvarado released a memo stating that it would no longer be the case.

Instead, new scenarios are being considered, including consolidating elementary and middle schools by location or further consolidating schools into a K-8 model. 

The first would be consolidating schools based on location — i.e. Jack’s Valley  and Pinion Hills Elementary Schools would be consolidated to a “Douglas County North” Elementary School, Scarselli and C. C. Meneley Elementary Schools would become a “Douglas County South” Elementary School. 

The second would be bringing 6th grade back into elementary schools before eventually phasing all valley elementary schools into K-8 models. 

A cost analysis shows that, dependent on student enrollment trends, the annual savings could be around $1.29 million under this model. 

The agenda states: The Superintendent will present additional school consolidation scenarios for Board consideration. All scenarios are based on enrollment trends, facility use, and a two-year budget reduction plan to ensure long-term fiscal solvency. This includes the financial implications of each model and the potential to capture enough savings to reach net-zero in our General Fund Ending Fund Balance by the end of Fiscal Year 2027. The Board is asked to review these models and identify which scenarios merit further development and community engagement, but no formal action to consolidate schools will be taken at this meeting. 

A town hall meeting will be held tomorrow, January 28 at Douglas High School to discuss these potentials with the community itself. 

Other items on the agenda include: 

  • Revisions to policies relating to volunteers and school visitors. Revisions include requirements that volunteers adhere to district dress codes, prohibition from the supervising students, and additional requirements that for overnight chaperones who are staff members in that “Chaperones must be parent volunteers, sponsors, or district staff who do not have to be released from instructional duties.” Revisions to school visitor policy similar includes prohibition from supervising students and adhering to dress code standards. 
  • A first draft for an intra-district open enrollment and transportation assistance policy for students attending schools outside their zoning. 

The meeting will begin at 4 p.m. at Douglas High School. See the full agenda here.

-Kelsey Penrose, Carson Now