The Washoe County School District has accepted a request by Superintendent Traci Davis for a leave of absence due to personal reasons.

According to the district, "Per Board policy 9082, Dr. Kristen McNeill, Deputy Superintendent, is acting Superintendent. The leave is of indefinite length. Ms. Davis and School Board President, Katy Simon Holland will remain in contact to determine next steps. Neither Ms. Davis nor the school district has further information about the reasons for the Leave of Absence."

Davis will be paid for at least part of the absence, as she has accrued paid time off for which she will be compensated. The district hasn't said how much time off she has coming to her.

The district has not commented further, except to say the absence was not requested by the district or school board; it was strictly Davis's request. The district has confirmed, though, Chief of Staff David Lasic and Chief Student Services Officer Byron Green are no longer employed by the district. No reason has been given as they are personnel matters.

In her five years running the district, following a stint as deputy superintendent and a previous job with the Clark County School District, Davis has been beset with complaints about too high a salary, accusations of using tax dollars to frequently fly back and forth between Reno and a Las Vegas home, and accusations the graduation rate has risen because it's too easy to get a diploma. She also dealt with controversy over the so-called digital days plan, a method for students to get credit on snow days, when there was confusion over various regions in which it was to be applied and over whether it was legal according to state law.

The district says, "Dr. McNeill is a veteran educator and leader in education management. She has been with the Washoe County School District for 26 years, and has served in a variety of roles as teacher, principal, Chief of Staff, and most recently as Deputy Superintendent."

“Kristen has always been a champion for quality, accountability and transparency,” says Board President Katy Simon Holland. “The staff and students of the Washoe County School District are in good hands."