A national conservative moms group aligned with President Donald Trump is expanding its influence to Elko and Humboldt counties, two years after it launched in Clark County. 

Moms for Liberty Clark County leader Yadusha Jones confirmed to The Nevada Independent last month that the group recently formed new chapters in Elko and Humboldt counties and is also looking to expand to Washoe County. Jones said the organization now has nearly 1,400 members statewide. 

Since its formation, the Moms for Liberty Clark County chapter has called for the Clark County School District (CCSD) to remove library books that it considers to be offensive and repeal policies that accommodate LGBTQ+ students. Group members have also been known to clash with board trustees, teachers and LGBTQ+ activists who oppose their viewpoints. 

National Education Association of Southern Nevada President Jeremy Heckler said in a statement the chapter’s agenda distracts from discussions on curriculum, class sizes and budgets.

During the past legislative session, the group opposed a pair of bills, AB416 and AB445, that would have made it harder to ban books. The bills were vetoed by Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo. 

The group also had some success last year when two of the candidates it backed in the 2024 elections, former chapter leaders Lydia Dominguez and Lorena Biassotti, were elected to the Clark County School Board. Dominguez is running in the Republican primary for Rep. Susie Lee’s (D-NV) seat, Congressional District 3.  

The Elko County chapter is led by Misty Atkins, a mom of three who ran for the Elko County School Board in 2022 but did not win the election for the District 1 seat. Jones did not share additional information about the Humboldt County chapter leadership. 

Atkins did not respond to multiple requests for an interview. But Jones shared a press release on the Elko chapter’s opening where Atkins said some parents in Elko County feel they are being left out of important school district decisions that impact their children. The statement does not give specific examples. 

“We are here to change that,” Atkins said in the statement. “Moms for Liberty gives parents the tools, the community, and the courage to transform frustration into action. Together, we will ensure parents are respected and children are protected.”

The press release states the Elko chapter will be focused on strengthening parental involvement in education, holding elected officials accountable and more. 

Elko County School District Superintendent Clayton Anderson said the district only had one minor interaction with the organization so far when it was seeking to donate copies of the U.S. Constitution to students. The district helped coordinate the delivery. 

Jones said she’s seen issues statewide where students have been scrutinized by education officials for promoting their conservative views in their schoolwork. 

“This even happened to my daughter,” she said. “Her responses were too conservative in a public school setting. A child should never be told that.” 

Jones said the organization’s goal statewide is to elevate the voices of their conservative parents and educate them on their rights. 

“If things are being overlooked, then that’s when Moms for Liberty steps in,” Jones said.

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News briefs

💵 Nevada tribe contributes $7.8 million toward new Owyhee school — The northeastern Nevada tribe that lobbied the Legislature in 2023 to support the construction of a much-needed new school has presented the Elko County School District with a donation that can potentially secure a state match of up to $7.8 million. 

If the match is approved, the additional funds can be put toward adding back features, such as a football field and career and technical education building, to the campus that were cut out of the school’s design to get the project under budget.

During the 2023 session, the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation successfully lobbied the Legislature to appropriate $64.5 million for the construction of a new school in Owyhee to replace the existing, crumbling campus. 

The bill, AB519, also created a $50 million state fund to assist rural school districts in financing capital improvements, including $25 million dedicated for schools located on certain tribal lands.

Without the bill, the district did not have the funding necessary to build the new school. 

During this past legislative session, lawmakers passed another bill, AB355, which allows for a match from the fund for a gift, grant or donation for a school district capital project located on tribal land. 

Elko County School District Superintendent Clayton Anderson said the district’s finance office needs to audit the tribe’s donation before it applies for the state match. 

The $7.8 million includes the tribe’s COVID relief funds, donations from tribal partners and in-kind services, such as providing gravel made using a rock crusher purchased with a $100,000 gift to the tribe from Nevada Gold Mines. 

The school, which is under construction, is expected to open by the 2027-2028 school year, about a year before the deadline set in the 2023 bill. 

🧑‍🏫 Washoe County School Board approves new teacher raises — After nine months of negotiation, the Washoe County School Board voted unanimously last Tuesday to approve a new two-year contract with its teachers union, the Washoe Education Association. The contract is estimated to cost an additional $33.4 million in fiscal year 2026, and $37 million for fiscal year 2027. 

Here’s some of the new benefits teachers are receiving: 

• A 2 percent cost-of-living adjustment that’s retroactive to July 1. There’s also an additional 7.5 percent cost-of-living adjustment for hard-to-fill positions, such as in special education, supported by a 2025 bill, AB398. This additional pay would be sunsetted after the 2026-2027 school year if it’s not renewed by lawmakers. 
• A one-time $1,000 retention bonus, subject to performance.
• The possibility of an additional cost-of-living adjustment of up to 2 percent in fiscal year 2027 or an opportunity to reopen negotiations subject to general fund revenues. 
• Additional compensation for certain K-5 teachers with classes with more students than thresholds set by the district; secondary teachers who accept an extra class during their prep time; and certain counselors or school social workers absorbing additional caseloads. 

🍎 State education official appointed to new education center — The State Board of Education last week selected board member Angela Orr, the principal of a Reno charter school, to serve on the board for the recently formed Education Service Center. 

She will be one of seven board members who will be appointed by the governor and other legislative leaders to guide the center, which aims to prepare districts for stricter accountability initiatives approved earlier this year. Each board member will serve a two-year term. The center’s Executive Director Steve Canavero said in an email that term limits will be determined by proposed regulations that are in the works. 

Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo appointed Orr to the state education board in 2023. She retained her seat after winning the 2024 election. 

Lombardo proposed creating the new state center during the past legislative session to offer support for low-performing school districts. It was added into SB460, a bill sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro (D-Las Vegas), via an amendment. 

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Extra credit

KUNR: Misogynistic podcast remark puts spotlight on Nevada union leader and attorney general

The Washoe Education Association issued a statement on Friday denouncing a comment by the president of the Southern Nevada Building Trades Union against Assm. Selena La Rue Hatch (D-Reno), a teacher, for her opposition to a proposed film tax credit, which failed during the special session. The local union and the statewide teachers union, the Nevada State Education Association (NSEA), had opposed the legislation while the Clark County teachers union (independent from NSEA) had supported it. 

The Hechinger Report: One state made preschool free. Then dozens of child care centers closed in its largest city

A study found that after California made preschool free for all 4-year-olds, more than 150 child care centers in Los Angeles closed, and the biggest beneficiaries were wealthy families. 

The Guardian: Immigrant students experience more bullying as ICE raids cause ‘culture of fear,’ says survey

One principal reported an uptick of white students making racially insensitive remarks toward Hispanic students. 

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Featured social media post 

This recognition comes less than two years after Frankie Alvarado became the superintendent of the Douglas County School District. Congrats!