Month: August 2021

Nevada Ed-Watch 8/26/2021

Posted on by Opportunity 180

The Ed-Watch series is designed to increase access to information on what decisions are being made regarding public education in Clark County and Nevada.

Clark County School District Board of Trustees 

What is the Board of Trustees & what are they responsible for? The CCSD Trustees are publicly elected decision-makers for the school district. They are responsible for providing oversight to the Superintendent and establishing District-wide policy. Trustees are accountable to work with their communities to improve student achievement.

Click here to learn more and see a list of current Trustees
Click here to find your Trustee District

How often does the Board of Trustees meet? Trustees meet twice per month (second and fourth Thursdays) at 5 pm both virtually and at the Edward A. Greer Education Center Board Room (2832 E Flamingo Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89121).

Click here for a full list of Trustees meetings and agendas
Click here to visit Hope For Nevada’s #NVEd Calendar

Can community members engage at Trustee meetings? Decision-making bodies benefit greatly from hearing public input and multiple perspectives. Currently, members of the public can submit comments on agenda and non-agenda items through email or voice recording. Public comment can be provided in person, via email, or via voice recording. Email comments should be submitted to Boardmtgcomments@nv.ccsd.net. To submit a voice recording on items listed on the meeting agenda, call 702-799-1166. Voice recorded public comment is limited to 1 minute 30 seconds.

Thursday, August 26, 2021

Clark County School District Board of Trustees Meeting

Click here to see the meeting agenda

What happened at this meeting?

The agenda was adopted with the addendum of agenda item 3.19 Employment Agreement – Chief Communications Officer. One trustee was not present to vote. 

Public Comment on Agendized Action Items

Members of the public submitted public comment on agenda items regarding: 

  • Concerns about class sizes, the class-size reduction plan, and the ability to effectively social distance with current capacities. 
  • Concerns about zone variances.
  • Teacher and staff vacancies and lack of substitutes. 
  • Concerns about the employment agreement for assistant general counsel. 
  • Concerns about the use of funds allocated to COVID-19 testing. 
  • Concerns over the development and implementation of the anti-racism policy.
  • Requests for the addition of restorative justice practices with a sense of urgency and transparency around planning. 
  • Concerns about the selection of the anti-racism task force committee members. 
  • Honoring the Southern Paiute people on whose land we stand on.
  • Concerns related to the treatment of, discipline of, and use of force on CCSD students. 
  • The need for access to mental health services. 
  • Concerns about exam fees.  

Click here to view written public comment on agendized action items submitted online. 

Consent Agenda Highlights:

  • Approval to spend $75,000 to contract with ProjectHEAL to provide professional learning services to 190 site-based employees to improve the effectiveness of social-emotional academic learning and equity efforts. 
  • Approval to spend $56,000 to contract with Magnet Schools of America to provide professional learning services to 135 site-based employees to improve cultural competency efforts. 
  • Approval of additional classes to be considered for both high school credit towards high school graduation and college credit. 
  • Approval to spend $647,617 to purchase exam fees for the Preliminary SAT 8/9 for all students in Grade 8 and the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test for all students in Grade 10 from the College Board for the purpose of student achievement, for approximately 49,611 students. 
  • Approval of employment agreement for Sami Rudolph for Assistant General Counsel. 
  • Approval of class-size reduction plan, with special attention given to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades. 

The consent agenda passed with abstention from one trustee and one trustee absent. 

Trustees Heard Presentation on the Anti-Racism Policy Development Work

38 members compose Superintendent Jara’s External Anti-Racism, Equity, and Inclusion Taskforce. The taskforce has planned to discuss a number of proposed topics including stakeholder engagement, project planning, and policy review. Critical Race Theory will not be included in the discussions. 

Trustees also heard an update regarding the timeline for the development of the anti-racism policy: 

  • July 2021: Assembly Bill 371 (2021) passed; CCSD included review of steps taken to be in compliance with this legislation
  • August 2021: Superintendent’s external task force formed
  • October 2021: Anti-racism policy first draft
  • November 2021: Draft review and update
  • December 2021: Anti-racism policy Notice of Intent 
  • January 2022: Proposed final adoption of policy 

Several trustees had questions regarding the criteria for the selection of task force members and the lack of a representative from West Las Vegas on the task force. 

Click here to view the presentation. 

Click here to view a list of the Superintendent Jara’s External Anti-Racism, Equity, and Inclusion Taskforce members. 

Trustees Heard a Presentation on the Substitute Teachers and Substitute Support Professionals

Trustees were briefed on arecommendation to contract with Education Staffing Services (ESS), a substitute staffing company, to provide substitute services. The district considered two options to address the lack of substitute teachers, improve services to students, and provide opportunities for substitute teachers and support professionals to earn full-time benefits: hiring full-time substitutes with benefits or outsourcing to a substitute staffing company. 

The substitute staffing company, ESS, is a national provider of manager solutions for K-12 education currently serving 750 school districts in 30 states. ESS would be responsible for recruiting, hiring, training, placing, and managing substitute teachers and support professionals. If approved by the board, the contract would begin October 1, 2021, and would cost the district $9.5 million per year. 

Trustees had questions regarding the fingerprinting process, responsibility of liability, the possibility of HR individuals losing their jobs due to these changes, the barriers retired educators face in returning to the district as a substitute, effect on current pay rates and sick time of substitute teachers, the community’s response to this proposed solution, and the length and specifics of the proposed contract and the ability to terminate the contract. 

Click here to view the presentation. 

Click here to view a reference document. 

Trustees Heard a Presentation on the Current Budget Forecast

The current budget forecast outlines changes in funding due to the Pupil Centered Funding Plan (PCFP), including the change of categorical grants now being included in the general fund, the addition of weighted funding (at-risk, english learners, and gifted and talented), and the funding that is still outside of the PCFP. The amended enrollment estimate is now 300,000 students. When the amended final budget is presented, the count day numbers will be included, allowing for a more accurate calculation.

Additional updates:

  • CCSD anticipates $181 million more in funds than anticipated in the final budget due togrants moving into the general operating budget and additional funding from the PCFP.
  • $111 million in sunsetted grant funding will now be reclassified to the weights outlined in PCFP, the hold harmless for Zoom and Victory schools, and additional funding potentially utilized for employee raises, increases in medical benefit contributions through negotiations, and other operational needs of the district.
  • There is $84 million in ESSER I funding and $346 million in ESSER II funding which the district is in the process of allocating to summer school, curriculum, and training.
  • The District is currently receiving community and public input via its Focus on the Future for Kids initiative on $778 million in ESSER III funding.
  • The district is still in negotiations with all bargaining units and once that process concludes, the use of additional funds will be allocated appropriately. 

Click here to view the presentation. 

Trustees Approved the 2021 Medium-Term Bond Authorization 

The 2021 medium-term bond authorization, proposed by Clark County School District, would issue up to $35,000,000 in medium-term obligations, repaid within 5 years. The proceeds of these obligations will be used to purchase new and replacement police and white fleet vehicles and technology. 

One trustee was not present to vote. 

Click here to view the reference document. 

Trustees Approved Updates to Board Governance Policies 

Trustees voted to approve the following changes to the CCSD Board of Trustees Governance Policies: 

One trustee was not present to vote. 

Trustees Approved Notice of Intent to Update School Assignment Policies & Regulations 

Trustees heard a presentation from staff outlining Policy 5112 and associated Regulation 5112 with a focus on efficiency, capacity of schools, and equity. The presentation included data around zone variances, a possible imbalance in race and ethnicity around zone variances, the cost of portable classrooms, and the current progress around promoting equity in the district. The presentation also outlined the current process and procedure around zone variances and the new zone variance process which will mirror the current magnet school process. The presentation provided clarity around justifications for why a student may attend a school not in their assigned attendance zone, as well as the proposed process and procedures for determining space, a lottery, and COSA. The timeline, in alignment with the magnet school process, for the proposed change was presented. The following existing programs, open enrollment, select schools, and board-approved options, such as minority-to-majority, will be phased out. This new process will also include management systems to check for oversight. 

These items will come back before the board for final approval at the September 23 trustee meeting. 

One trustee was not present to vote. 

Click here to view the presentation. 

Trustees Submitted Requests for Future Board Items

  • Trustee requested that item be added to agenda regarding COVID-19 cases in CCSD school 
  • Trustee requested that criteria for closing schools due to COVID-19 cases be made public

Public Comment on Non-Agenda Items

Members of the public submitted public comment on non-agenda items regarding: 

  • Concerns regarding mask mandate.
  • Concerns regarding the recruitment and treatment of substitute teachers.
  • Concerns regarding the COVID-19 testing and quarantine policy.
  • Concerns regarding the possibility of a vaccine mandate.
  • Concerns regarding the Teachers Health Trust and teachers’ ability to access healthcare. 
  • Concerns regarding the level of access students have in giving public comment at board meetings.
  • Concerns regarding the number of teacher vacancies. 
  • Request for additional resources and support for administrators, teachers, staff, and students.
  • Concerns regarding the transparency and transmission of information from the district; request for information to be provided in more languages to better serve the unique populations of the district.

Click here and here to view written public comment on non-agenda items submitted online. 

Sign up to receive a notification when a new Ed-Watch post is published:

Nevada Ed-Watch 8/27/2021

Posted on by Opportunity 180

The Ed-Watch series is designed to increase access to information on what decisions are being made regarding public education in Clark County and Nevada.

State Public Charter School Authority (SPCSA)

What is the SPCSA & what are they responsible for? Considered one of Nevada’s school districts, the SPCSA sponsors and oversees public charter schools. The Authority consists of seven appointed members responsible for overseeing educational and operational standards and holding sponsored schools accountable to the academic achievement of students. 

How often does the SPCSA Board meet? The SPCSA typically meets one a month, generally on Fridays. 

Click here for SPCSA meeting schedule and materials.

Can community members engage at SPCSA Board Meetings? While all meetings of the SPCSA are typically held publicly at the Nevada Department of Education building in Carson City and the Nevada Department of Education building in Las Vegas (1st floor boardroom), all meetings are now held virtually due to the COVID-19 crisis. Members of the public may view the meeting online via the link on the SPCSA’s Public Notice web page and the agenda and any supporting materials can be found here. Public comment may be given on any agenda item at the beginning of the meeting, or public comment regarding any matter that is SPCSA-related may be given at the conclusion of each Board meeting. Members of the community giving public comment can utilize the following conference call line: 1-312-584-2401; extension 3952176# with a time limit of three minutes per speaker. Alternatively, public comment may be submitted in writing to publiccomment@spcsa.nv.gov, and any such public comment received prior to the meeting will be provided to the Authority and included in the written minutes of the meeting.

Click here for a list of all SPCSA Members.
Click here for a list of all SPCSA sponsored schools.

Friday, August 27, 2021

State Public Charter School Authority Special Board Meeting

Click here to see the meeting agenda

What happened at this meeting? 

SPCSA Executive Director’s Report:

Report highlights:

  • SPCSA staff and Authority board member update
    • Following the close of Member Kirner’s term on July 30, 2021, SPCSA is excited to welcome Javier Trujullo to the board. Member Trujillo was unable to attend the August 27 meeting and will be in attendance October 1. SPCSA is in the process of filling one vacancy and hiring for five new positions which are authorized to begin October 1.
  • Initiatives related to Serving All Students Equitably
    • SPCSA staff recently participated in DEI training. Two of the training sessions were also available to school staff.
    • The SPCSA Focus on Schools agenda item will continue at the October 1 meeting. Under this agenda item, SPCSA invites schools that share about their initiatives regarding equity.
  • Update on the Summer Cycle for New Charter School Applications
    • SPCSA is in the process of reviewing nine applications that were submitted during the summer application cycle. Capacity interviews with the schools have been scheduled. All nine applications are posted on SPCSA website along with a public comment form for each. SPCSA anticipates bringing recommendations for all nine applications to the November 5 board meeting.
  • Nevada Legislative Session Interim Period Expected Reporting and Presentations
    • During the Legislative Session Interim Period, SPCSA has been engaging with Legislative Committees and anticipates participating in the Interim Education and Interim Finance Committees. As part of their committee commitments, SPCSA will  also provide semi-annual site evaluation reports.
  • Proposed Regulatory Changes (Nevada Administrative Code 388A.260)
    • SPCSA is contemplating proposed changes to its application process and timeline in a forthcoming workshop. Members of the public will be invited to join in person or virtually. A regulatory hearing will follow.
  • COVID-19 Update
    • Most SPCSA-sponsored schools have opened for their first day of school. The earliest first day opening was Aug 5 and the latest is September 7. 
    • SPCSA is continuing to engage with schools to keep in touch and share and gather information. School liaisons are also in place who help to report updates from schools back to SPCSA on a monthly basis.
    • Schools continue to report positive COVID-19 cases in students and staff, in aggregate, that occur at SPCSA-sponsored school sites.
    • SPCSA staff is focused on expanding COVID19 testing on school sites.  With the support of the Department of Health and Human Services, SPCSA is in the process of setting up a mobile testing option that schools can take advantage of. Trained testing staff will go to schools every week.

Board Approved Charter School Contract Amendment Applications

  • Oasis Academy

The SPCSA board approved a request by Oasis Academy for a good cause exemption to enable the school to pursue acquiring the facility they are currently leasing at 920 W. Williams Avenue in Fallon, Churchill County. The school building is located adjacent to Western Nevada Community College’s Fallon Campus. Oasis’ enrollment for the 2020-21 school year was 689 pupils. Acquisition of the current school building will allow Oasis to double its space and create cost savings while doubling capacity of the school. Approval is subject to the condition that the school submit monthly updates on the status of acquiring the building and to amend relevant ERC or the termination of this acquisition option.

One board member who is on staff at Oasis Academy recused themselves from voting.

Click here to see the Oasis Academy recommendation memo.

  • Nevada Prep
    • Nevada Prep was approved to occupy a new permanent facility on Betty Lane in North Las Vegas. That facility had experienced delays which consequently delayed the start of school. The school is offering programming at DISCOVERY Children’s Museum for families that were counting on having their children back in school in August. The Certificate of Occupancy for the Betty Lane building has come through and the school is expected to open on September 7.

With the opening of Nevada Prep on September 7, the board did not find a reason to vote on this agenda item.

Board Approved Proposed Updates to the Site Evaluation Process 

The SPCSA conducts school site evaluations for the purpose of exercising oversight, monitoring schools, gathering feedback from schools, and document progress to goals in school charters. Site evaluations focus on 1) academic performance, 2) each school’s organizational effectiveness, and 3) each school’s commitment to its charter and the charter contract.

To continually improve site evaluations, the SPCSA implements annual improvements to the site evaluation process based on feedback from schools. The board approved the following five proposed changes to its site evaluation process: 

  • Randomization of Staff Focus Group participants
    • Ensures that focus groups are not composed of individuals that are both staff and staff/parents within the school as this is not representative of the staff body.
  • Reduce Redundancies of items requested and better align the review of documents
    • Ensures SPCSA is not requesting information from schools that is already documented by the SPCSA.
  • Improve the level of high-quality data collection and reporting
    • Looks for clear data alignment so that there are several sources of data collected to back up information presented in site evaluations
  • Increase the number of classroom observations conducted at each school
    • Previously, 2-3 site evaluators were assigned per school with a minimum of one class observation per grade level. The number of classroom evaluations will be increased so that the data will be more representative of all of the classrooms in the school.
  • Three ways of increasing our differentiation processes
    • If a school has previously received a strong recommendation or a difficenity on a recent site evaluation, SPCSA will follow it up with routine progress checks every three months to ensure recommendations are addressed and to document and collect evidence.
    • Any school identified as having a star rating of 2 or below or those with a Notice of Concern or Notice of Breach will automatically undergo a full site evaluation every year until there is improvement.
    • Schools with a 4- or 5-star rating per recent NSPF data will undergo an abbreviated site evaluation, forgo the focus group portion, and receive limited classroom observations during their third year of charter.

Click here to view the Site Evaluation presentation.

Board Discussed Governance Standards for Sponsored Charter Schools 

Assembly Bill 419 (2021) requires each charter school sponsor to establish standards for the governance of sponsored charter schools. SPCSA staff reviewed research on effective boards governance from location and national standards and studies. Staff conducted three focus groups with the board members of sponsored schools. 13 of the 38 SPCSA-sponsored schools participated in these focus groups. The focus groups centered around three questions:

  • What are the most important functions/responsibilities of charter school boards?
  • What topics are most important for charter school boards to discuss in board meetings?
  • What are the characteristics of effective charter school boards?

Based on research and focus groups, SPCSA staff drafted the following six governance standards for board review:

  • Focus on Student Growth, Achievement and Social and Emotional Wellbeing
    • This standard is about setting goals for student outcomes, monitoring progress, and using data to inform decisions.
  • Manage Financial Resources Responsibly
    • This standard is about making sure the school is financially healthy short- and long-term.
  • Ensure Strong Leadership and Effective Partnerships
    • This standard focuses on strong leadership and ensuring partners (including CMOs, EMOs, and other vendors) are providing quality services that meet the needs of schools.
  • Ensure an Effective, and Well-Run Organization
    • This standard focuses on meeting legal and compliance requirements, open meeting law, bylaws, and organization and operational performance such as emergency preparedness.
  • Operate in Service of your School Community
    • This standard is about operating transparently and responding to the needs of the communities served.
  • Act Strategically
    • This standard focuses on the school’s strategic plan, mission and vision, and board governance.

Board members shared feedback including the need to streamline clear Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on board responsibilities, ensuring clarity of the role of the SPCSA, imbedding governance standards in site evaluations, supporting school boards in meeting the governance standards,  and providing training for school boards.

A final version of the draft governance standards is expected to be presented to the board at the October 1 meeting.

Click here to view the draft governance standards.

Long-Range Calendar (next 3 months:)

Agenda items over the next three SPCSA board meetings are anticipated to include: 

  • A final governance standards document.
  • A plan to provide an update on SPCSA’s ESSER Grant, Part A application, due September 10.
  • A Focus on Schools agenda item.
  • A substantial focus on academic standards.
  • Remarks from leaders of schools that are under Notice of Breach will speak to us about the school’s academic performance and plans and strategies for the coming year.
  • Remarks and progress updates from leaders of new schools slated to open in Fall 2022, including Battler Born Academy, Eagle Academy, Las Vegas Collegiate, and Sage Collegiate.
  • Annual Count Day data and demographic data.
  • Graduation rates, application renewals, contract amendments.

SPCSA board requested a future agenda item on Special Education funding and its impact on schools. Click here to see the long-range calendar.

Nevada Ed-Watch 8/19/2021

Posted on by Opportunity 180

The Ed-Watch series is designed to increase access to information on decisions being made regarding public education in Clark County and Nevada.

Nevada State Board of Education

What is the State Board of Education & what are they responsible for? The Nevada State Board of Education adopts regulations based on Nevada laws, which are passed down to individual school districts in Nevada to implement. The Board has 11 total (7 appointed and 4 publicly elected) members.

How often does the State Board meet? The Nevada State Board of Education meets once per month on Thursdays at 9:00 AM or 2:00 PM. Click here to see the 2021 Board Meeting Schedule. Click here to visit Hope For Nevada’s #NVEd Calendar.

Can community members engage at State Board Meetings? A time for public comment is provided at the beginning (for agenda items) and at the conclusion (on any matter) of each Board meeting. Members of the public may provide public comment in writing via email; public comment will be accepted via email for the duration of the meeting and shared with the State Board of Education during the public comment periods. Public comment may be emailed to NVBoardED@doe.nv.gov.

Click here for a list of all State Board Members.

Thursday, August 19, 2021
Nevada State Board of Education Meeting

Click here to see the meeting agenda

What happened at this meeting?

Public Comment

Members of the public provided comment regarding:

  • Concerns over inequities for rural schools in the state 
  • Concerns over policies relating to transgender students 
  • Concerns over masks and vaccine rollout for students
  • Concerns over the political climate towards educators in regards to masks and COVID-19 policies 
  • Concerns over Critical Race Theory being taught in schools 
  • Concerns over Service Level Agreements and CCSD’s compliance with Nevada Law.  

President’s Report

  • Back to School Update 
    • The board expressed gratitude to educators and staff for their efforts in kicking off the new school year. 
    • Board President Ortiz emphasized the need to pay attention to the social and emotional needs of students as they return to school. 
  • Board Goals & Vision Communications Plan
    • The board heard an update on the communications plan for the Nevada Board of Education Goals and Vision. Highlights: 
      • The SBOE’s two goals are 1) move up in State rankings from 18th in September 2020 to Top 10 by July 2026 and 2)  increase the overall number of students receiving the College and Career Ready (CCR) diploma from 23.9% in July 2021 to 50% by July 2026 and eliminate gaps of student groups while raising the overall average.
      • Goal messaging: The goal of the communications plan is to establish Nevada’s current academic achievement ranking clearly to Nevada stakeholders; clearly communicate the two State Board of Education (SBOE) goals so that the general public knows and understands them; and illustrate the Vision of the SBOE in a way the public can understand and connect with.  
      • Vision: The Vision of the SBOE is that All Nevada students are equipped and feel empowered to obtain their vision of success.
      • Strategic Timeframes: By Spring 2022, SBOE will share about how each stated goal is reached. In Fall 2022, the SBOE will communicate ongoing progress reports.
      • The SBOE will be putting together a toolkit for promotion including social media graphics, email templates, and other assets that the board and other stakeholders can use. 

Click here to view the Communications Plan presentation.

Superintendent’s Report

  • Covid-19 Response
    • All staff regardless of vaccination status are required to wear masks. 
    • School-based Covid testing options are being explored. 
  • Summer Literacy Camps 
    • Over 200 students participated in the Nevada LIT Camps program, which ​​offered early childhood reading instruction for students in K-5 as well as teacher professional development instructional planning. 
  • Digital Ambassadors Cohort
    • 42 educators across the state will be working to provide digital support as Digital Ambassadors as part of the Nevada Digital Learning Collaborative. 

Board Approved Consent Agenda 

Consent agenda highlights: 

Board Heard Petition for License Revocation of Julia Kerrigan 

NRS 391.320 enables the State Board of Education to suspend or revoke a teacher’s license for any cause specified by law, including ethics violations. If a teacher violates ethics law, a petition for suspension or revocation can be filed. Teachers can ask for a hearing within 15 days to present their case. After that, the case is brought to the SBOE who makes a final determination and can do one of three things:

  • Accept the recommendation for the suspension or revocation;
  • Reject the recommendation for the suspension or revocation; or
  • Bring the report back to the hearing officer for further evidence and recommendation.

In the case of Julia Kerrigan, a petition for revocation was filed due to allegations made by students that Kerrigan helped students with tests by telling them how to solve test questions. The board approved the recommendation made by the hearing officer to suspend Kerrigan’s license for five years from the date of decision by the board.

Board Heard Update Regarding the Efforts of Workforce Connections

The mission of Workforce Connections is to connect employers to a ready workforce. Workforce Connections is Southern Nevada’s local workforce development board currently serving the Clark, Esmeralda, Nye, and Lincoln with its One-Stop Career Centers. The organization is currently working on a number of initiatives that benefit K-12 education:

  • Fellowship Program: Workforce Connections’ Fellowship Program, in partnership with CCSD, will create a pipeline for in-demand careers of the future, the first program of its kind in the nation. There are currently 13 CCSD high schools in the fellowship with a goal to get all 59 CCSD high schools involved.
  • CSSD Technical Training Academy: A new academy school will be developed in what was once the site of Bishop Gorman on Maryland Parkway. For the first time, a Workforce Connections One-Stop career center will live on a school campus. The goal of this initiative is not just to help the youth, but to help families of the youth through a generational approach and wraparound services.
  • ACT Work Ready Communities: Clark County became the largest work-ready community through ACT. The program includes 12 job profilers that will help employers apply a Work Ready Certificate to identify and hire the right person the first time to fill a role.
  • CCSD apprenticeship pipeline: The apprenticeship pipeline will align trades organizations with CCSD for students choosing to go directly into a career. Due to COVID, the program has been challenging to deploy.
  • Workforce Blueprint – The Workforce Blueprint will give students information about the industries that are arising in Southern Nevada.
  • Industry Sector Partnerships: Workforce Connections, in partnership with the Vegas Chamber, will work closely with Southern Nevada companies in fields such as logistics and supply chain management to understand the entire blueprint of their workforce needs and what they look for in future employees. This could include certificates employers look for, how companies grow an individual into middle management, and how individuals reach the top. The program will launch in October with a focus on two out of seven emerging industries to start.
  • NevadaV Business Hubs: The Nevada Business Hub is designed to connect employers to all available free resources available to help them create a plan for the future.

Click here to view the Workforce Connections presentation.

Board Heard Overview on Assembly Bill (AB)  469 (2017)

Assembly Bill 469 (2017) required the implementation of a plan to reorganize Clark County School District following the passage of Assembly Bill 394 (2015) which provides principals with increased autonomy over schools and budgets. 

The board heard a presentation on the history of AB469. Its history includes passage of the bill in 2017, an issuance of the Attorney General’s opinion in 2018 at the request of the Superintendent to answer the question of whether a large school district could assign a teacher to a local school precinct without its consent, a declaratory order in 2020 to answer the question of whether state statute would allow CCSD to assign an employee in a school without the school’s consent, and service level agreements.

Click here to view the AB469 presentation.


Sign up to receive a notification when a new Ed-Watch post is published:

Nevada Ed-Watch 8/12/21

Posted on by Opportunity 180

The Ed-Watch series is designed to increase access to information on what decisions are being made regarding public education in Clark County and Nevada.

Clark County School District Board of Trustees 

What is the Board of Trustees & what are they responsible for? The CCSD Trustees are publicly elected decision-makers for the school district. They are responsible for providing oversight to the Superintendent and establishing District-wide policy. Trustees are accountable to work with their communities to improve student achievement.

Click here to learn more and see a list of current Trustees
Click here to find your Trustee District

How often does the Board of Trustees meet? Trustees meet twice per month (second and fourth Thursdays) at 5 pm both virtually and at the Edward A. Greer Education Center Board Room (2832 E Flamingo Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89121).

Click here for a full list of Trustees meetings and agendas
Click here to visit Hope For Nevada’s #NVEd Calendar

Can community members engage at Trustee meetings? Decision-making bodies benefit greatly from hearing public input and multiple perspectives. Currently, members of the public can submit comments on agenda and non-agenda items through email or voice recording. Public comment can be provided in person, via email, or via voice recording. Email comments should be submitted to Boardmtgcomments@nv.ccsd.net. To submit a voice recording on items listed on the meeting agenda, call 702-799-1166. Voice recorded public comment is limited to 1 minute 30 seconds.

Thursday, August 12, 2021

Clark County School District Board of Trustees Meeting

Click here to see the meeting agenda

What happened at this meeting?

The agenda was adopted with the deletion of item 3.32: Memorandum of Agreement Between the Fulfillment Fund Las Vegas and the Clark County School District. 

Public Comment on Non-Agenda Items

Members of the public submitted public comment regarding: 

  • Statement honoring the Southern Paiute people on whose land we stand on. 
  • Concerns over the use of pepper spray on students and a request for restorative justice practices. 
  • Concerns over the lack of student voices at board meetings; request for better practices to ensure students are able to share feedback in a timely manner. 
  • Suggestions for how the American Rescue Plan funds should be spent.
  • Concerns over masks, vaccinations, and COVID-19 testing policy. 
  • Concerns regarding the flying of specific flags in a district classroom. 
  • Concerns regarding transportation, availability of programs, and the publication of AB195 at Global Community High School. 
  • Concerns regarding the lack of benefits and low pay for substitute teachers. 
  • Concerns regarding the number of vacancies in the district. 
  • Concerns that all schools be safe spaces for students and that culturally responsive teaching practices be implemented.
  • Request for efforts to work toward attaining more funding for CCEA. 

Click here to view written public comment on non-agenda items submitted online. 

Consent Agenda Highlights:

One trustee was not present to vote. 

Members of the public submitted public comment on this agenda item regarding:

  • Concern over the price and upkeep of electric buses and electric charging stations. 
  • Concern about the number of teacher vacancies. 
  • Concern regarding the lack of transportation and safety issues with the current transportation being offered at Global Community High School.  

Trustees Approved Proposed Notice of Intent to Adopt CCSD Policy 3100 and Regulation 3100, Code of Ethics/Anti-Fraud

Policy 3100 will outline behaviors expected of employees and will help employees resolve and report potential ethical or procedural violations. 

No changes to the policy were made.  

Regulation 3100 was approved with the following changes:

  • Removal of the definitions related to respectful, trustworthy, and reasonable. 
  • Clarification of Chief of Staff responsibilities in specific investigations 
  • Clarification that the decision to terminate an employee is made by the Superintendent and all discipline, including termination recommendations, will be made in accordance with all laws, regulations, and collective bargaining agreements. 
  • Removal of the qualifying term “close” from close friends. 

One trustee was not present to vote. 

Click here to view the policy notice of intent. 

Click here to view the regulation notice of intent. 

Members of the public submitted public comment on this agenda item regarding support of Policy 3100. 

Trustees Heard a Presentation on the COVID-19 Update and an Overview of Reimagining Schools 

Trustees heard a presentation on the highlights of the 2020-2021 school year. Highlights included:

  • Closing the digital divide.
  • Increasing access to nutrition and social-emotional support.
  • Providing access to high-quality education such as summer programming. 
  • Promoting the safety and health of students and staff, and returning students to the classroom. 

Trustees heard a presentation on the district’s plan to reimagine schools for the future of children. Highlights included:

  • Changes to the classroom, including grading reform, support of pilot schools to provide face to face instruction, full time distance education, and blended learning, and a focus on career readiness. 
  • Changes for staff including an increase in professional learning opportunities and the educator instructional pipeline. 
  • Changes for school support including the creation of the Leadership and Professional Learning Division, offering of mathematics tier 1 instructional materials, and differentiated support to schools. 

Trustees heard a presentation on the district’s ongoing COVID-19 response. Highlights included:

  • Layered mitigation strategies including promoting vaccination, consistent and correct mask use, physical distancing, screening testing to promptly identify cases, clusters, and outbreaks, ventilation, handwashing and respiratory etiquette, staying home when sick and getting tested, contact tracing in combination with isolation and quarantine, and cleaning and disinfection. 
  • The district also has a mitigation plan to allow students to participate in athletics and activities. 
  • A new mitigation strategy the district plans to utilize are hospital grade R-Zero UV disinfection units at every campus on or before August 27th. 
  • In partnership with the Southern Nevada Health District, CCSD will offer four static vaccination sites at high schools around the valley. 

Click here to view the presentation.

Members of the public submitted public comment on this agenda item regarding:

  • Concerns about the vaccine, masks, and testing policy. 
  • Concerns about the treatment of teachers and the risk of losing more teachers. 
  • Concerns about the feasibility of being able to successfully follow COVID-19 mitigation measures.

Trustees Approved the Employment Agreement of Charlene L. Hillard for the Role of Assistant Superintendent, Curriculum and Instruction Division

Trustees welcomed and congratulated Charlene L. Hilliard who will be assuming the role of Assistant Superintendent, Curriculum and Instruction Division. 

Click here to view the employment contract.  

Trustees Submitted Requests for Future Board Items:

  • Board is responsible for a mid-year Superintendent review and would like to begin planning the end of year Superintendent review. 
  • Request that the board develop a statement and/or discussion point to ensure all board members follow board policy and inappropriate behavior is condoned. 
  • All trustees receive training regarding the progressive discipline policy.
  • A meeting with the Bond Oversight Committee. 
  • Update on the anti-racism policy to be discussed soon. 
  • Discussion of Focus on the Future for Kids data. 

Sign up to receive a notification when a new Ed-Watch post is published: