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 5pm at the Edward A. Greer Education Center (Board Room): 2832 E. Flamingo Road, 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. Community members can sign up to speak after the agenda has been posted– by calling the Board Office at (702) 799-1072 at least 3 hours before the scheduled meeting, or signing up in-person at the beginning of the meeting. Prior to each agenda item being voted on, speakers can share their perspective after the Board’s discussion and prior to the vote.
Thursday, June 11, 2020
Clark County School District Board of Trustees Special Meeting
Click here to see the meeting agenda
What happened at this meeting?
Public Comment
Members of the public submitted comments online. Public comment was not read directly into the record, and rather an oral summary of each comment was provided to Trustees.
Click here to view public comment on agenda items.
Click here to view public comment on non-agenda items.
Board Approved the Consent Agenda
Consent Agenda Highlights:
- Amendments to Rainbow Dreams Academy charter contract to remove grades 1-8 and transition to a Pre-K and kindergarten only. Trustees and staff discussed ensuring accountability measures are in place for this new school configuration.
- Membership to the Council of Great City Schools. Trustees expressed their support for continuing the partnership and will be addressing communication concerns trustees have brought forward. (Vote: 6-0-1)
Board Appointed an Audit Advisory Committee Member
The board approved the reappointment of Joshua Robinson to the CCSD Audit Advisory Committee. The purpose of this committee is to advise the Board in strengthening accountability for the efficient stewardship of public funds; providing a communication link between external and internal auditors and the Board of Trustees; enhancing transparency of the District’s financial operations; and improving public trust in the honesty and integrity of public officials.
Board Approved Notices of Intent to Update Policies
Final policies will be brought before the board at the July 25th CCSD Board of Trustees meeting.
Policies that will be updated include:
Policy 6165: Programs and Services for English Language Learner Students
Board Approved MOA with the Clark County Educators Association (CCEA)
The MOA is related to the implementation of school improvement grants, and provides pay for additional teacher minutes at El Dorado HS and Bailey Middle school.
Click here to view the MOA.
Board Reviewed the CCSD 2021 Legislative Platform
CCSD Staff presented a draft legislative platform for the district, which includes topics specific to School Funding, Improved Learning Environments, and School Safety & Mental Health. Highlights from the platform include:
- Preserving the weighted funding formula
- Opposing all unfunded mandates
- Collaborating with the state to invest in digital learning
- Identifying opportunities to address and diversify the teacher pipeline
Trustees discussed the necessity to ensure that public education is adequately funded in Nevada, including communication from the governor’s office on impacts to the budget due to revenue shortfalls from COVID. Other topics that trustees proposed for consideration in the platform include: adjustments to the reorganization of the district (AB469), consideration of technology related to workforce and school building security.
Trustees Heard Updates about the District’s Response to COVID-19
COVID response update highlights:
- 3.5 million meals have been served, and USDA is extending waivers through the summer.
- From the time of school building closures through the end of the school year, 4,370 students were not successfully reached. Approximately 2/3 of those students not reached identify as Black or Hispanic.
- CCSD released a survey for the community to provide input on what should be prioritized for the reopening of schools. Approximately 94,000 responses were received from community members, teachers, students, and central office staff.
- Reopening Plan: Working groups have met and provided input to inform the initial school reopening plan. Currently, school department heads and subject matter experts are using input collected from the working groups to refine the plan. Unit chiefs will then present recommendations to the superintendent and cabinet for input. The final plan is expected to be presented to the board at the July 25th meeting, and is required to be available for the public no less than 20 days before the first day of school.
- Trustees discussed looking to other districts to understand how their reopening is impacting staff and students. Additionally, trustees discussed ensuring that feedback from educators is closely taken into consideration as plans are finalized.
- Trustees and Superintendent Jara also discussed needing to connect with the Governor’s office and Nevada Department of Education to ensure they are receiving information in a timely manner.
Superintendent Jara’s prepared statement:
Click here to read about this in the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Superintendent Communications
Superintendent Jara welcomed Sarah Cyprus, the new principal of Treem Elementary.
Requests for Future Agenda Items:
- Detailed presentation on data related to CCSD Police policies and data about excessive force, including the use of pepper spray on campus.
- Information about how Trustees will be updated on the work of the Nevada Department of Education Reopening Committee.