Bill
AB 316
AB 316 adds a nonvoting pupil trustee to each county school board, chosen by students for a 1-year term to advise, attend meetings, and cast an advisory vote (no binding vote).
Status and key dates
- Introduced: January 24, 2025.
- Enacted: Approved by the Governor October 13, 2025; Chaptered as Chapter 672, Statutes of 2025.
- Fiscal note (as introduced): May have fiscal impact on local government.
Purpose / intent
AB 316 adds formal, statewide student representation to county school boards by requiring each county to have a single nonvoting pupil trustee on its board of trustees. The bill’s intent is to ensure students — especially juniors and seniors in public high schools — have a regular, structured role to advise boards on policies that affect them.
Major provisions and changes
- Creation of a nonvoting pupil trustee position:
- Each county’s board of county commissioners must appoint one nonvoting pupil trustee to the county school district board of trustees. The pupil must be nominated by pupils in the district (see selection rules below).
- Eligibility: must reside in the county and be enrolled as a full‑time grade 11 or 12 public high‑school pupil in the county for the majority of the term.
- Term: 1 year (amendment specifies a June 1 — May 31 cycle).
- Selection / nomination process:
- Districts with fewer than 50,000 pupils: nomination by a majority vote of pupils enrolled in the district’s middle schools, junior highs and high schools, following board policies/regulations.
- Districts with 50,000+ pupils: a multi‑stage peer nomination/selection process across election districts, culminating in a districtwide pupil vote to select the trustee.
- Rights, responsibilities and duties of the pupil trustee:
- Granted the same rights as voting trustees except the pupil trustee cannot cast binding votes: attend all meetings, receive the same meeting materials and participate in briefings, evaluations and (per some language) closed‑door sessions.
- Right to equivalent professional development training (per NRS 386.327) — with an express statutory exception clarifying the pupil trustee’s training requirement.
- Right to state an opinion before any board vote and to have that advisory vote recorded in the meeting minutes.
- Duties: serve as liaison between pupils and the board, keep pupils informed, introduce and speak on pupil‑impacting matters, and attend at least 75% of board meetings.
- Amendment language in the file also authorizes compensation “of up to $750 per meeting” (check enacted text for final amount/language).
- Statutory housekeeping:
- Various NRS sections governing board composition and elections (e.g., NRS 386.120, 386.160, 386.165) are amended to account for the added nonvoting pupil trustee; board counts are adjusted (e.g., references change from 5, 7, 11 members to 6, 8, 12 members to reflect the addition).
- Vacancy rules: a person appointed to fill a pupil‑trustee vacancy must meet pupil‑trustee qualifications.
Who is affected
- All county school districts in the state (boards of trustees and district administration).
- County boards of commissioners (responsible for appointment).
- Eligible pupils (rising/current 11th–12th grade public high‑school students) who may run for or nominate peers.
- Local governments/school districts (potential administrative and training costs; possible stipend/compensation costs if compensation language is applied).
Procedural / implementation notes
- The bill prescribes nomination procedures but allows some local adaptation (board policies to govern vote administration).
- The pupil trustee is explicitly nonvoting but has formal participatory rights and an advisory vote recorded in minutes.
- Supporters (student advocates, the Nevada State Education Association) framed the measure as increasing student voice and civic engagement. Some opposition from local school‑board associations noted concerns about removing existing local programs or established student‑participation policies and potential confidentiality/operational issues (e.g., participation in closed sessions).
For further reading
- Consult the enacted statute (Chapter 672, Statutes of 2025) and amended NRS sections (chapter 386) for exact, operative language — especially on appointment mechanics, training requirements, confidentiality/closed‑session participation, and any final compensation provisions.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
Sign in to ask a question.
