Douglas County School Board missteps in offer to interim superintendent, special meeting planned

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - In a move that wasn't on the agenda, the Douglas County School Board voted to offer Jeanne Dwyer the job she has been filling on an interim basis.

Trustee Yvonne Wagstaff made a motion Tuesday to select Dwyer as superintendent, and Trustee Linda Gilkerson seconded that. The agenda had an item to choose an international search firm to locate the next superintendent and decide on the procedures the seven board members would take during the search. Instead, in the surprise move, Wagstaff made her motion, citing the excellent job Dwyer has been doing since taking over for Keith Lewis on November 1, 2023.

Wagstaff and Gilkerson were joined by trustees Carey Kangas, Doug Englekirk, and Katherine Dickerson in a "yes" vote on the motion, with current Board President David Burns and Past President Susan Jansen abstaining.

Since the vote was not agendized, the move is a violation of the Open Meeting Law. The Board was not stopped during the regular portion of the meeting by the board's attorney Joey Gilbert or his staff member, Kendra Jepsen. He was advised of the improper move by members of the public during a recess. Gilbert then passed on to the trustees about their misstep, according to a witness. The public was then notified of the error and said the board would be holding a special meeting on the matter on March 21 at 5 p.m. At that time there will be public comment and possible discussion and vote.

The trustees voted to move the topic of a student member of the board onto the next agenda, a topic that has been pushed off for over a year. School districts of their size have had students as non-voting members of the board for a long time, but Douglas County trustees are trying to figure out how it will work for them. Dickerson is concerned the students will be subjected to a board that is at odds and a public that has been vocal about their displeasure of board actions. She discussed having the students sit at the public comment table, and that they hear from multiple students instead of one elected one.

Nobody suggested that the elected student sit at the dias after public comment is over, then give their board report at the top of the agenda, and then leave at a time they choose as they do in other districts.

"This breaks my heart," said Gilkerson. "Kids want to be part of this. I’d like to see kids involved right away, and they shouldn’t have to wait anymore."

Approved on the agenda were the $2.17M upgrade for Whittell High School and the $1.1M stadium upgrade for Douglas High School.

Under the plan, Whittell's locker rooms will be upgraded, restrooms made up to ADA standards, new gym flooring and bleachers, and classroom updates. The girls' locker rooms hadn't been updated since the school was built in the 1960s, and the boys' were last remodeled in the 1980s. A plan for upgrades and remodels has been discussed for over five years, and saved for during that time. There was a question by Dickerson as to why even work on the project if there is declining enrollment at the Lake Tahoe school. The Board discussed unsafe bleachers, and if pulled out of the package, legal counsel advised the board that it is considered a notice of a lack of safety and she'd advise keeping the bleachers in the package. Most of the work will be done over the summer but some will go into the beginning of the next school year.

Douglas High School stadium was approved. The project is replacing the concession stand and restrooms that were originally built in the 1980s and are not ADA-compliant. New electrical will be added. During the Homecoming game this year the power went out and the game had to be rescheduled. The foundation under the bleachers on the home side is crumbling, and there is no foundation under the visitor's side. Work will be done before the next football season.

The board was confused over the consent agenda and how they pulled items for discussion and a subsequent vote. Normally, boards have a vote on non-pulled items after a motion. Then, after discussion, a vote on the pulled items occurs. President Burns also asked board members to ask questions before the meeting so as not to take time during the meeting to keep time down.

The main item discussed on the consent agenda was Gilbert's mounting legal fees - this February invoice was $31,521.50.

Wagstaff asked Burns why he was abstaining from votes on items before the board. A board member must abstain if there is a conflict, and disclose why they abstain. Burns said he is supposed to stay neutral and is not voting. He said he is following Robert's Rules of Order.

When you don't vote, you aren't representing the public from the area they represent, said Gilkerson and Wagstaff. Legal counsel said it doesn't mean they cannot abstain for any other reason.

- The story was updated on March 14.