ELKO — Next up for discussion: American Indian education.

In its third annual back-to-school bus tour, the U.S. Department of Education will visit Great Basin College Thursday to participate in a discussion examining issues related to the topic.

“Native Americans are a significant portion of our enrollment and community,” said GBC Chief Development Officer John Patrick Rice. “It’s important that we reach out to them as effectively as we can.”

The 90-minute roundtable discussion starts at 9 a.m. in the Great Basin Theatre, led by William Mendoza, director of the White House Initiative on American Indian and Alaska Native Education.

Following the discussion will be 45-minute break-up sessions. Other GBC campuses can watch the discussion via video.

“We’ve gathered a panel of experts in education to discuss education in the Native American population,” Rice said. “It’s the beginning of a longer conversation. We welcome new perspectives and new ideas.”

Elko is the bus tour’s second stop in Nevada, which goes from San Francisco to Washington, D.C., in an effort to engage community conversation.