Eureka schools navigate literacy, AI and state oversight

The Eureka County School Board convened on June 17, addressing a range of topics from the approval of the upcoming academic year’s literacy plan and high school activities to financial updates, advancements in artificial intelligence integration, and the potential implications of recent Nevada Senate Bills on education.

Local Literacy Plan

In considering the Local Literacy Plan (LLP) for the 2025-2026 school year, Elementary Schools Principal Lisa Hutchison related that every year the school district must submit a literacy plan, and this year they are submitting the same plan as last year with some adjustments. The interventionist in Crescent Valley is now a classroom teacher, and they are “down to one interventionist.”

The plan requires professional learning for elementary teachers, and Hutchison provides professional learning for teachers within staff meetings as well as working one-on-one with teachers. She works closely with the interventionist in identifying students who need intervention.

Intervention services and intensive instruction are provided at both the Eureka and Crescent Valley elementary schools, with Bobbie Sestanovich in Eureka and Anne Plocher in Crescent Valley working with Hutchison to make sure they’re providing the proper intervention.

Hutchison said the “biggest part is the Implementation Road Map,” which includes maintaining a licensed teacher as the reading interventionist. The goal is to exceed students’ growth goal in reading by 5% as determined by and utilizing MAP, an adaptive universal screening and progress monitoring assessment for early reading skills that can gather data on oral reading fluency, literal comprehension and foundational reading skills as well as screen for risk factors for dyslexia or other reading difficulties. They are doing professional development around the science of reading and making sure they communicate with parents within 30 days once a student is identified as deficient. In addition, they share strategies parents can use at home for their children, and all students create MAP assessment goals. The literacy plan has to be submitted with the schools’ Continuous Improvement Plan.

While the requirement is to address students at the 40% percentile and lower, Eureka selects students at the 50% percentile and lower “because we really want us to make sure we’re giving them what they need to push them over to that next level, so we’re actually pulling more kids than the state is requiring.”

“It’s working,” Superintendent Tate Else said.

The board voted to approve the literacy plan.

High school report

High school principal John Glover reported all 29 seniors attended the May 21 Lagoon trip. “We had a great day going to Utah.” He thanked Hutchison for when all the seniors went to the elementary school for the graduation walk. He said, “E-Day was great,” although 79 “kids were absent…this year” so “they’re looking at shifting to get more participation.” The seniors painted the E on the mountain. “It was 92 degrees, and they were up there hauling the paint up.” Glover said Senior Awards Night was well-attended, with kids’ parents bringing their favorite foods. He said eighth-grade promotion went well, with “the kids well-behaved.”

He congratulated the seniors who graduated.

He said there wasn’t a lot to report related to sports except that Quil Filipini “had a fantastic state rodeo finals and will represent Eureka High School in the national finals. She won the poles and barrels at the state” and will “head out there in July.” Fall sports schedules are being finalized, but “those are changing daily, so I don’t want to give them out to the community because everything’s going to change.” The first football game will be Aug. 22. 

Hutchison has updated and uploaded the Student/Parent Handbook to the Eureka and Crescent Valley website. The Eureka School supply list is uploaded, so parents have access. 

Finance report

Finance Director Rhonda Wilders said, “Cash balances in the accounts as well as the month-to-month cash balances changed very little in this last month” and are “kind of at a standstill until the payments for the field start up…at the end of June.”

AI conferences

Superintendent Else related that staff has been attending AI-focused conferences, and he and Elmer Porter will be attending an AI conference sponsored by the State of Nevada. Else thinks “we’re in pretty good shape for our district” and “are a little ahead of the curve. Many of the school districts don’t have a platform for teachers and students to get on. So, the fact that we already have Co-Pilot” puts the district “farther ahead” and “that’s going to be a continuing goal.”

Senate bills

Superintendent Tate related that Senate Bill 500 put money forth for funding for K-12 public education for the 2025-2027 biennium and “it sounds like we will get our $160,000,” although the district budget was built without relying on those monies.

Else said Senate Bill 416 “does allow for take-over of school boards, superintendents, principals. So, major accountability increases in there” and “what that is actually going to look like is not determined yet.” Else will “continue watching that one very closely.” He said, “Some of the regulations and language are potentially going to have to go to the Board of Education. There are so many pieces that are not elaborated on.” He said there were overall cuts to the State Education Fund and “all school districts will be seeing reduced budgets next year.” 

Else said, “As things start to unfold and progress, we’ll learn more” with “many of these things not to take a hold until or coming into effect until the 29/30 year.” Any school district deemed as needing improvement is potentially going to go in front of a committee. He thinks “a major fallacy of this bill” is “operating under the assumption there’s all kinds of qualified, educated people across the state just sitting and waiting to get a phone call to go take over a school district. I promise you every able-bodied educator in the state is already working. This bill could have potential negative aspects as far as recruiting teachers. It’s a form of fear-based scenario. Some innovative things are happening in education. We already have multiple accountability systems,” and “we can still do good things for kids regardless of what bills are out there.”

The bill was passed within the last 24 hours of the legislative session, and the “superintendents had three hours to provide feedback on it before it was heard.”

Else said, “All of this stuff to me is just kind of weeds. We’re just going to stay precise and to the point” and “stick with our minimalistic viewpoint and stick with Kagan and let our teachers do good work and keep our kids doing great work. That’s all we can do.” 

The next school board meeting will be July 22. 

The Eureka County School District Board approved:

• The renewal proposal from Nevada Public Agency Insurance Pool (POOL) and approval for payment from fiscal year 2025-2026 funds. Annual cost of POOL insurance coverage is proposed at $212,792.14. Contracted current coverage will remain in full force and effect. 
• The Local Literacy Plan (LLP) for the 2025-2026 school year.
• The district’s mission statement and goals.
• Extending the superintendent’s contract of employment for two years, including an adjustment to the base annual salary to $183,000. 
• Extending the elementary principal’s, high school principal’s, finance officer’s, human resources director’s, technology director’s, and technology director assistant’s contracts of employment for two years, including an increase to the base annual salary of each position of 2.75%.
• Authorizing the superintendent to implement a base compensation increase of 2.75% for all positions within the school district that are not covered by a collective bargaining agreement.
• The two-year contract with Eureka County Teachers Association effective beginning July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2027.
• The two-year contract with Eureka County Schools Classified Association effective beginning July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2027.
• A resolution to commit funds in the General Fund for a total of $2,130,437, including outstanding payments for the football field replacement project for $2,081,007 and outstanding purchases for $49,430.
• A change order for the football field replacement project not to exceed $20,000 for the service and materials to replace the failed rim board around the track, high jump and long jump pits.