The group that organized the
successful effort to defeat the September Washoe County
School Bond this week demanded the resignation of Mary
Nebgen, the district's superintendent of schools. Citizens
Associated for Responsible Education in our Schools
(CARES) cited a lack of confidence in the ability of the
district staff and present school board to oversee an
independent management performance audit of district
operations. The independent audit was part of
an agreement CARES negotiated with local business groups,
including the Greater Reno-Sparks Chamber of Commerce
before the September primary election vote. The agreement
was in return for CARES agreeing to support the school
district's $196 million bond issue proposal. The Washoe County School Board at
its Sept 24 meeting approved a request for proposals from
firms interest in performing an audit of the district's
management and operations. However, CARES said that
school board departed from the pre-primary agreement by
allowing the school administration to seek proposals and
conduct the audit outside of the fiscal advisory
committee process. "The school board's decision
is in direct conflict with the intent and language of the
agreement," said CARES chairperson Jim Clark. "When we made the agreement,
it was with the clear understanding that the management
performance audit would be done in a manner which
provided some assurances that it would be fair,
independent and unbiased. "It now appears that the
district's administration, 
with the approval of the school board, is
attempting to subvert the process."
Clark said that rumors have been
circulating since the voter defeat of the primary
election ballot question that the district had no intent
to live up to the terms of the agreement with CARES and
some local business groups. However, he said, CARES felt
it was necessary to let the school board process proceed
to give the district a chance to show what its intent
really is.
School board candidate Sharon
Angle, who is battling board chairman Bob Bentley for the
northwest Reno District E seat, told the school board
Thursday that its request for audit proposals is not
calling for an audit per se but rather a consulting
process where the firm assesses the district from a
managerial perspective.
Assistant superintendent of
operations Paul Fleming said that though the process will
involve consulting services, it is being called a
management and operations audit to keep it simple for the
public.
School board trustees allocated up
to $300,000 for the process Tuesday.