Navigating Change and Focusing on Excellence

Dear CCSD Community,

The Clark County School District (CCSD) is entering a different chapter. Like countless districts across the nation, CCSD is adjusting to a new reality shaped by declining birth rates, increasing costs, and more competition for students. 

While we tackle this new situation, we must look for opportunities. This challenge is forcing us to transform our schools to better meet students' needs and compete for families. We have a chance to move from keeping up with growth to designing excellence.

Some days, however, the change is especially jarring and difficult. This spring, we began a process to place approximately 700 CCSD employees who lost their positions due to budget reductions resulting from fewer enrolled students and the end of American Rescue Plan Act federal dollars. 

We have worked hard to place every single impacted employee, and made huge progress. However, today, I made the heavy decision to declare a Reduction in Force (RIF) for licensed personnel. This comes after we were unable to place approximately 60 classroom teachers, social workers, and counselors. We will go through the RIF process outlined in the contract and NRS and will continue working around the clock to try to place all of our current licensed staff. Additionally, recruitment is working to help about 55 support professionals and approximately 50 administrators secure positions.  

I want to take this opportunity to offer a heartfelt “thank you” to some of our most-experienced teaching staff. A shout-out is in order for those this year who will join the ranks of the retired. By informing HR of their retirement plans, they help ease the uncertainty surrounding a reduction in force. When we learn of these upcoming vacancies, they will be made available to help reduce the number of those affected by RIF. 

Thank you also to the many CCSD employees impacted by this process. We know this is incredibly difficult, and we appreciate your patience. Please know that we are working very hard to continue to place employees in positions they qualify for. 

As we work to transform our school district, we must ensure we maximize every precious dollar. Last night, we presented a new efficiency study to the Board of School Trustees that estimates we could save up to $79 million annually after five years of efficiency measures. You can read the full report here.

This study will work in conjunction with our new five-year strategic plan, The Destination District, which outlines a path to transform our schools into more supportive, joyful places of learning. 

I want to be clear: no significant savings will be realized until after the 2026-2027 school year, and we will review every recommendation on a case-by-case basis to carefully weigh its impact on our educators, students, and families. However, the potential to reinvest these millions of dollars directly to transform our schools is incredibly powerful.

Finally, all of this will support our new Facility Master Plan, Building Brighter Futures, which will explore how we can ensure every student has access to a beautiful, modern school building that offers a rich array of programming.

With these challenges, our community is forming a clear, intentional plan to improve the experience for our students, support our educators, and build the schools our families and community deserve.

Thank you for your continued partnership and dedication to the future of CCSD.

Sincerely,

Jhone Ebert

Superintendent of Schools

Clark County School District