CCSD shows improvement in distance learning attendance numbers

The Clark County School District improved its distance learning attendance numbers for the week of April 20, with approximately 30,000 more students reached by teachers than the week prior, according to an update presented to board members Thursday night.

The district reached 241,555 of its 325,081 students during the week of April 20, with another 9,376 documented instances of students not being able to access distance learning for lack of a computer or transportation to packet distribution sites.

For the week of April 13, the first week that the district tracked two-way contact between teachers and students, CCSD reached 211,438 students, with 11,451 reporting documented exemptions.

Deputy Superintendent Brenda Larsen-Mitchell told CCSD trustees that the district will send out messages to students with documented exemptions to inform them that devices are available for them to pick up.

The district has given out approximately 85,000 Chromebooks to date, with 157,000 more awaiting deployment.

Attendance officers and social workers going door-to-door to find absent students reached 1,280 students out of 2,362 targeted for the initiative, with many reporting incorrect contact information or lost login information, according to Mike Barton, the district’s chief college, career and equity officer.

The presentation also included an update on the district’s graduation plans, which are currently being crafted by school principals.

Superintendent Jesus Jara said it’s unlikely schools will be allowed to have graduation ceremonies in May without approval from Gov. Steve Sisolak.

Jara also said that the district will not approve drive-through graduation ceremonies out of fairness concerns for students who don’t have cars.

Board trustees also heard a presentation on substitute teacher pay, including a proposal to pay substitutes $10 to $30 more per day depending on the type of job and guaranteeing a $110 daily base rate for all subs.

Substitutes said last week that the proposal is low given that the position hasn’t seen a raise in over a decade and that it doesn’t cover other concerns such as healthcare benefits, sick leave and paid time off.

The presentation was a discussion-only item for trustees.

“We cannot do without our substitutes,” Trustee Linda Cavazos said. “We cannot run our school system without our substitutes.”

Contact Aleksandra Appleton at 702-383-0218 or aappleton@reviewjournal.com. Follow @aleksappleton on Twitter.