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

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.