School Board: Enrollment, Staffing, Student Highlights, and Year-End Principal Reports

Churchill County School District officials reported continued enrollment declines and staffing challenges during the May 19 meeting of the Board of School Trustees.

District enrollment dropped from 3,282 students during the 2023-24 school year to 3,048 students as of May 1, 2026.

Churchill County High School reported 983 students enrolled, while Churchill County Middle School reported 646 students. Total elementary enrollment districtwide stood at 1,419 students.

The enrollment report showed only slight month-to-month changes between April and May, with the district gaining three students overall during that period.

Human Resources Manager Cameron Sorensen reported that the district continues to face staffing shortages heading into the 2026-27 school year despite ongoing recruitment efforts.

Staff is currently recruiting qualified applicants for several licensed positions, including elementary school teachers, teachers on special assignment, speech-language pathologists, computer teachers, Spanish teachers, and agriculture Career and Technical Education instructors.

Sorensen said the HR department has attended job fairs, used paid advertising and social media recruitment, and offered hiring incentives of $2,000 for licensed staff and $3,000 for special education licensed staff. Despite those efforts, open positions continue to outnumber qualified applicants.

During the superintendent’s update, Churchill County High School student representative Valeria Casillas Ibarra highlighted recent student activities and accomplishments. She reported that HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) recently competed at the state conference, with several students earning top-five finishes in their categories.

School principals also provided year-end reports outlining accomplishments and priorities for improvement.

Lahontan Elementary School Principal Kimi Melendy highlighted continued use of the Reset Room, restorative practices, and social-emotional learning strategies. She identified professional learning opportunities for teachers as an area for growth.

E.C. Best Elementary School Principal Brad Barton reported infrastructure improvements, enhanced family engagement, and continued academic growth efforts. He identified literacy advancement as a key focus and said the school plans to expand Science of Reading training and targeted interventions for struggling students.

Numa Elementary School Principal Shawn Purcell reported positive results from the school's Reset Room and efforts to strengthen curriculum understanding and academic outcomes. He said supporting students who are reading below grade level remains a priority.

Churchill County Middle School Principal Deana Porretta highlighted successful completion of spring SBAC and i-Ready assessments, along with campus improvements that include a new grass field and obstacle course.

Churchill County High School Principal Tim Spencer reported improvements in campus culture, citing reduced restroom vandalism, restorative practices, and stronger student accountability.

“We have seen a remarkable transformation in our daily environment, driven by consistency and presence,” Spencer said in his report.

Looking ahead, Spencer said priorities include improving attendance, reducing chronic absenteeism from 19% to 16%, and strengthening reading and writing instruction.

Trustees took no action on the reports presented during the meeting. They did discuss grade-level schools and the article on that issue can be found in the May 29, 2026 edition of The Fallon Post, and online at thefallonpost.org/article/9420,school-board-revisits-grade-level-school-structure.