Clark County School District Superintendent Jesus Jara speaks to media at Global Community High School and Central Tech Training Academy on the first day of school Monday, Aug. 8, 2022.
Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022 | 2 a.m.
After months of consideration, the state has put in place regulations clarifying the 5-year-old law decentralizing the Clark County School District and putting more power in the hands of individual schools.
The Legislative Commission — a 12-member group of six lawmakers from both the Nevada Senate and Assembly — on Tuesday unanimously approved the regulations to Assembly Bill 469, which passed in the 2017 Legislature and paved the way for building principals to select teachers and most other school staff, balance their site’s budgets, and procure most equipment, services and supplies.
CCSD, with more than 300,000 students and 350 schools spread over Clark County’s 8,000 square miles, was slow to institute the law, which Superintendent Jesus Jara in June labeled as a “complete overhaul of the fifth-largest district in the nation.”
“There have been some public comments made that we have not had any interest in complying,” Jara said at a meeting of the district’s subcommittee for reorganization compliance. “In the midst of a pandemic, we have been trying to meet the letter of the law.”
The Nevada State Board of Education, which insists it doesn’t want to take over running CCSD, started knuckling down in late 2021 to find a way to force CCSD to comply with the reorganization law.
The Legislative Commission, which takes actions on behalf of the legislative branch of government when the full Legislature is not in session, accepted regulations on noncompliance with the law, the dispute resolution processes in the law and the definition of “other staff” who work under the supervision of principals.
The noncompliance regulation spells out how the state can issue a notice of noncompliance and a corrective action plan, and appoint a compliance monitor to guide the district but not take away any decision-making authority. CCSD would be subject to progress reports and a hearing before the state over a six-month monitoring phase should a notice be served.
Compliance monitors and corrective action plans are less severe alternatives to receivership — or takeover, which the state education department and board considered earlier this year but abandoned.
The state regulations are separate from a regulation that CCSD is authoring and should put into place this fall to mirror state law.
Henderson reaches out
Henderson educators are concerned about teacher recruitment and retention, their mental health, and their students’ mental health, the Henderson Community Education Advisory Board heard last week.
The city reached out to local schools for the first Henderson School Summit to discuss what was most important and how the city could help.
Tara Phebus, the city’s education initiatives officer, updated the community board in a meeting Wednesday about the responses the city received. The educators said they could use financial help — from grants for needs like licensure fees or classroom supplies to subsidized housing and child care. Such help would benefit teachers who already teach in schools in Henderson as well as attract more teachers to schools in Nevada’s second-largest city, they said.
They asked for youth development and mentorship programs, before and after school or during breaks, to build up children’s character. They suggested that principals be connected to local social services to refer to teachers. And they sought a tight-knit community, like small town-style celebrations and pride in the local schools.
Henderson has 41 public schools, along with several charter and private schools within its city limits. Representatives from 35 schools attended the summit.
The city hopes to make the summit an annual event, Phebus said.
National group recognizes 11 schools
GreatSchools.org, a California-based education advocacy group, honored 11 CCSD high schools with the College Success Award for preparing students to attend and succeed in college based on alumni enrollment, retention and the need for remedial courses.
Advanced Technologies Academy, College of Southern Nevada High School’s East South and West campuses, Las Vegas Academy of the Performing Arts, Northwest Career and Technical Academy, Palo Verde High School, Southeast Career and Technical Academy, Southwest Career and Technical Academy, Veterans Tribute Career and Technical Academy and West Career and Technical Academy were among Nevada’s 25 schools to receive the award.
Raiders honor Green Valley coach
The Raiders each week are picking a Las Vegas-area high school football coach as their Tom Flores Coach of the Week, announcing Thursday that Green Valley High School’s Clay Mauro won the weekly award.
Mauro, a native of Ely, led the Gators to a 24-10 victory over Basic in the annual Henderson Bowl on Sept 23. Mauro also coordinates the Green Valley defense, which had five interceptions in the victory.
The award comes with a $1,000 donation to the school’s football program. The Raiders’ youth football outreach staff visits a practice — along with the Raiderettes — to deliver the award.
Coaches also honored this season: Dan Barnson of Somerset Academy, Chris Morelli of Boulder City High, Jesse Dailey of Western, Matt Gerber of Arbor View and Quincy Burts of Canyon Springs.
Flores, the namesake of the award, is the Raiders’ coaching legend and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
