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Latest News

WCSD Announces Updated School Calendars for the 2026-27 School Year
Victoria Campbell

The Washoe County School District has announced updates to the Balanced Calendar and the Incline Calendar for the coming school year. 

As you prepare for the new school year and begin planning ahead, WCSD is pleased to announce that the last day of school will be Friday, June 4, 2027 for students on the Balanced Calendar, and Wednesday, June 9 for students in Incline Village. TMCC High School and Gerlach K-12 School will not have changes to their calendars.  

This change to WCSD calendars is in response to questions and concerns we have received from families navigating final exams, graduation ceremonies, end-of-year activities, and plans for summer. In the past, contingency days have been added on after the last scheduled day of the school year, creating uncertainty about when the last day of school will actually occur.  

In partnership with the Nevada Department of Education and following its recent approval of WCSD’s updated calendars, the last day of school will not change. Contingency days are now built into the school year calendars and the last scheduled day of school for students will not change.  

WCSD is immediately implementing the recently approved calendars, which provide greater clarity for students, families and staff.  

Thank you for sharing your feedback and helping us improve the school calendar to better serve our community.  

You can view all 2026-27 school calendars by clicking this link.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is the last day of school for the 2026-27 school year?

The last day of school for students following the Balanced Calendar will be Friday, June 4, 2027. The last day of school for students following the Incline Schools calendar will be Wednesday, June 9, 2027.

Will this change impact the calendars for Gerlach K-12 School and TMCC High School?

This change will not impact the Gerlach K-12 School calendar or the TMCC High School calendar, which will continue to operate under existing calendars, consistent with prior years.

Where can I find a list of all school calendars?

To see all school calendars click link here.

Can the Washoe County School District still cancel classes due to weather or other emergencies?

Yes. If classes are delayed or canceled, families and staff will be notified via the usual channels including the Connect Ed call system, social media, postings on the WCSD website, and via the local news media.

If we have school cancelations this year, will extra days be added to the calendar?

No. Three days have been included in this year’s Balanced Calendar. If school is canceled in the coming year, there will be no make-up days added at the end of the school year.

Why were these changes made to the calendar?

We believe this updated calendar will help address confusion and questions surrounding the previous use of contingency days, and that this calendar provides greater clarity and predictability, for you, our families.

This change was made in partnership with the Nevada Department of Education, which approved these calendars.

 

Welcome Back For the 2026-27 School Year!
Victoria Campbell

The Washoe County School District welcomes all of our students, families, and staff members back for the 2026-27 school year!

The Washoe County School District welcomes all of our students, families, and staff members back for the 2026-27 school year! The first day of classes for most of our schools is Monday, August 10. Schools at Incline Village follow a different calendar and will start classes on Monday, August 17.

There is lots of great news in our District as the new year begins:

While our students and families were enjoying the summer break, the District completed construction of two brand new schools—Stead Elementary School and Vaughn Middle School. Each features state-of-the-art teaching and learning spaces, and we can’t wait to show them to our students on the first day of school.

There was lots of work happening at other schools, too, during the summer months, as District employees conducted ongoing modernization projects. The District invested approximately $35.9 million in more than 80 capital renewal projects at a number of schools across the District. This represents WCSD’s ongoing work to maintain and repair existing schools while building new schools to alleviate overcrowding and provide equitable learning spaces for our 59,000 students.

Also new this year, WCSD’s youngest scholars students enrolled in Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten -- begin classes on the same day as all other students. This will expand instructional time, remove barriers for families, strengthen early routines, and directly support stronger early literacy foundations.

Some of the biggest news involves our school calendars: With recent approval from the Nevada Department of Education, three contingency days – typically a result of missed school days due to weather – are now built into the Balanced and Incline calendars and will be used as instructional days. WCSD is immediately implementing these changes, which provide greater clarity for students, families, and staff. 

Under the new calendar system for students following the Balanced Calendar, the last day of school will be Friday, June 4, 2027. For students following the Incline Calendar, the last day of school will be Wednesday, June 9, 2027. Both final days will be observed regardless of whether closures occur due to weather or other emergencies. This change does not affect TMCC High School or Gerlach K-12 School, which will continue to operate under their existing calendars.

For more information about school calendars and contingency days in session, please visit Approved 2026-2027 School Year Calendars - Washoe County School District by clicking this link.

Welcome back to our students, families, and staff members, and we wish you a happy and productive school year.

 

WCSD Celebrates 2026 Countdown to Graduation
Victoria Campbell

The Washoe County School District is celebrating its annual Countdown to Graduation.

The Washoe County School District (WCSD) is saluting 20 graduates as part of its 2026 Countdown to Graduation celebration. These students were selected by their principals, counselors, and teachers for their courage, perseverance, and dedication to achieving their goal of earning a high school diploma. 

Beginning Tuesday, May 12, and continuing each weekday through June 9, Countdown graduates will be featured in individual videos that will be posted on the district website at www.washoeschools.net/countdown. In the videos, students discuss their separate journeys that brought them to the graduation stage, the obstacles they have overcome, the high points and challenges of their academic careers, and their plans for the future.

Our Countdown graduates serve as inspiring examples to us all,” said WCSD Board President Adam Mayberry. “They have accomplished academic and personal goals, often in the face of serious obstacles, and achieved the academic milestone of earning their high school diploma. On behalf of my fellow trustees, I congratulate this distinguished group of graduates and all of the members of the Class of 2026.”

A schedule for graduation ceremonies for all schools is available at https://www.washoeschools.net/graduation The page also includes a link to the site where the community may watch live streams of each graduation ceremony.

Strict safety measures will be observed at Lawlor Events Center for these large public gatherings. Events Center staff members enforce limits to the size and type of bag allowed inside the venue to expedite entry into the building. For further information, please visit https://www.unr.edu/lawlor/visit/bag-policy

Congratulations to our 2026 Countdown Graduates! We are proud of you!

 

Drake Elementary Students Join City, School Leaders in Ride for Reading Event
Victoria Campbell

Students from Florence Drake Elementary School joined city leaders, fellow students, and school staff members today in the Ride for Reading event.

Students from Florence Drake Elementary School joined city leaders, fellow students, and school staff members today in the Ride for Reading event. The caravan of bicycles and motorcycles, led by Sparks Mayor Ed Lawson, rode from Sparks City Hall to Drake Elementary School where they were greeted by several hundred cheering students prior to attending a schoolwide assembly where they learned about bike safety.

The group also delivered brand new books for each student in the school, donated by Spread the Word Northern Nevada to support literacy.

"We look forward to this event because it’s so warmly and enthusiastically received not only by students, but by our community leaders,” said Jennifer Iveson, coordinator for Safe Routes to School. “The warm spring months are a great time to remind students to get outdoors and ride their bikes while following all of the safety precautions like wearing helmets and learning traffic safety rules. We are grateful to Sparks and Washoe County leaders, WCSD School Police, Sparks Police Department, and RTC Washoe, among many others, for supporting this message for our students.”

Ride for Reading Event 5.7.2026

 

WCSD Employee Wins Nevada RISE Award
Victoria Campbell

Amber Bass, a longtime WCSD Nutrition Services employee, was recently honored with the Nevada “Recognizing Inspiring School Employees” (RISE) Award by the Nevada Department of Education and Governor Joe Lombardo’s office.

 

Amber Bass, a longtime WCSD Nutrition Services employee, was recently honored with the Nevada “Recognizing Inspiring School Employees” (RISE) Award by the Nevada Department of Education and Governor Joe Lombardo’s office.

Bass prepares daily meals for 70 delicate and vulnerable students who have complex medical conditions, life-threatening allergies, unique nutritional needs, and feeding styles that require careful and consistent monitoring in the kitchens and at school sites to protect their health and safety. She was nominated for the award by WCSD Board President Beth Smith.

“Amber brought me over to her kitchen workstation and showed me her large board of smiling student photos—a personal reminder of the children whose meals she is entrusted with preparing,” wrote President Smith in her nomination. “These students’ parents send their precious children to school each day in the Washoe County School District with absolute trust that Amber has prepared a meal that is safe, delicious, and – very importantly—as similar to their classmates’ meals as possible… Parents know that when their child eats at school, Amber has safeguarded every detail as if they were her own.”

Amber Bass has worked for WCSD since 2006 in the special programs department of Nutrition Services. She received a phone call from Governor Lombardo on Friday, informing her of her award. She will now apply to the U.S. Department of Education for the National RISE Award to be determined next spring.

Amber Bass Accepts Nevada RISE Award

 

  • Nutrition Services
  • WCSD Nutrition