CCSD trustees make decisions on superintendent salary, search costs

Clark County school trustees kick-started the district’s superintendent search Thursday, setting a salary range of $350,000 to $400,000 for a new superintendent and approving $64,410 to pay for aspects of the search.

The decisions came in a special meeting at which the recruiting firm Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates presented a timeline for board discussion, board interviews and candidate interviews. The timeline shows that a finalist will be selected by Oct. 30, over two months into the new school year but just shy of the November election.

The school board was criticized at a July 11 meeting for moving forward with the search before the election, which could see new trustees in four of the board’s seven voting positions. It also faced backlash over the decision to hold meetings at 9 a.m. on weekdays, making it impossible for school employees to take part.

Trustees had asked that those meeting times be changed, but as of Thursday, those times were still set for weekday morning — but labeled as “time subject to change.” Trustees again, asked those meetings be moved.

Board President Evelyn Garcia Morales said the number of candidates the board will have to interview should help determine those meeting times, and the board voted to accept the calendar with flexibility for future meeting dates and times.

The Oct. 30 deadline to select a finalist is also subject to change, based on the efficiency of the rest of the search process, the district said.

Trustee interviews

The consultant told trustees a member of the search firm would be meeting with each trustee individually to develop a leadership profile report.

“Really what we do is we spend time with each of you — in these areas of vision, priorities, climate and culture, leadership and management, academic and operational goals — to really try to get a full picture of where CCSD is at,” said HYA chief operating officer Nanci Perez.

A draft of the report will be presented to the board Sept. 12 at its regular meeting, and a final copy at its Sept. 26 regular board meeting, according to the timeline.

Board members also approved a list of groups to survey, including administrators, teachers (later amended to teachers and licensed professionals), support professionals, parent or guardians of CCSD students, community members and students. Board members later added former CCSD employees as seventh category.

Those surveys will be professionally translated to Spanish, French, Tagalog, Amharic, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (Traditional Taiwan) and Persian. Trustees voted to leverage community help to translate the other languages on the district-provided list.

In the coming weeks, Trustees will discuss more on focus groups and approve leadership profiles, while HYA begins the advertising and search process. The board will meet next for a work session Aug. 7, and a regular board meeting Aug. 8.

“Now, we really get to start putting everything in motion,” Perez said.

Contact Ella Thompson at ethompson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @elladeethompson on X.