Article

Closed Classrooms vs First-Class Living: Beth Smith Comes to Ward 3 NAB

Tonight’s City of Reno Ward 3 Neighborhood Advisory meeting includes a big agenda item: the proposed closing or repurposing of several Washoe County schools located in Ward 3. One of the presenters? Washoe County School Board Trustee Beth Smith.

Why did we visit Beth Smith’s Facebook page - because she posted this.

Tonight’s City of Reno Ward 3 Neighborhood Advisory meeting includes a big agenda item: the proposed closing or repurposing of several Washoe County schools located in Ward 3.

One of the presenters? Washoe County School Board Trustee Beth Smith.

Which makes us wonder — what exactly does Trustee Smith have in common with the families and students who will be displaced by these decisions? Many Ward 3 residents are worried about finances, staying employed, making their incomes stretch. Meanwhile, Smith’s public persona leans more toward posting about her upper-echelon lifestyle — including a Facebook cover photo featuring a family trip to Paris.

It’s a fair question: when decisions disrupt local kids and families, does lived experience matter? Or are these closures just numbers on a spreadsheet to someone far removed from the consequences?

Ward 3 parents and neighbors deserve more than presentations — they deserve decision-makers who understand what’s actually being lost.

Ward 3 NAB Meeting tonight.

Follow to Drink Deep, Nevada

Independent reporting, delivered to your inbox.
Sign up for the Picon Press newsletter.