CCSD Board of School Trustees meeting recap, July 9

Agenda Item 5.07 – COVID-19 and CCSD’s Response

The Clark County School District (CCSD) Board of School Trustees unanimously voted to provisionally approve the Reopening Our Schools Plan for submission to the Nevada Department of Education. The plan was developed under the guidelines of the Governor’s Phase 2 reopening plans for the State of Nevada. 

The proposed plan above meets requirements that CCSD must fulfill with the state of Nevada’s guidelines which includes social distancing. 

To view the Reopening Our Schools Plan presentation that includes model schedules for teachers and students, click here. 

Agenda Item 5.04 & 5.05 – Legislative Priorities & Legislative Bill Drafts

Trustees received an update on the proposed Legislative Priorities for the CCSD 2021 State Legislative Platform. The key Legislative Priorities include School Funding, Improved Learning Environments as well as School Safety and Mental Health.  

Elements of school funding include preserving the weighted funding formula and ensuring proper weights are described by the Commission on School Funding, ensuring dollars are directly appropriated to the District by the end of the legislative session and opposing all unfunded mandates. 

Under improved learning environments the Legislative Priorities include preserving current funding and authorizing an additional 25-year period for general obligation bonds for capital improvements, collaborating with the state to invest in digital learning and identifying opportunities to diversify the teacher pipeline. 

Finally, under school safety and mental health, the Legislative Priorities include additional funding to improve school safety and ways to increase, recruit, and retain more school counselors, school social workers, school psychologists, student success advocates and mental health specialists through collaboration with the state. 

Trustees also discussed possible bill draft requests for the 2021 Legislature focused on increasing funding for internet access for students and mental health supports. The requests must be submitted to the Legislative Counsel Bureau ahead of the September 1, 2020 deadline.

To view documents related to Legislative Priorities, click here. To view documents related to Legislative Bill Drafts, click here.

Agenda Item 5.06 – Clark County School Justice Partnership Update

The Board of School Trustees received an update on the Clark County School Justice Partnership (SJP) and the efforts to positively impact students through a multi-agency partnership. The SJP is a collaboration between CCSD, CCSD Police Department, Clark County Department of Juvenile Justice and the Clark County District Attorney’s Office.

The report showed referrals Districtwide to the Department of Juvenile Justice Services have decreased overall by 28% for the previous three years. For Black students, the decrease was only 22%. At present, we are taking a close look at why that happened so that we can work to address the underlying cause. We are here to educate the children of Clark County, not prepare them for the prison pipeline. 

“Our officers understand that while they are tasked with keeping our schools and community safe, they are helping our children on the path to a better future. Our commitment to equity and inclusion stands firm,” Superintendent Dr. Jesus F. Jara said.

To view documents related to this agenda item, click here.