State Department of Education and CCSD agree to postpone fight over reorganization
The Clark County School District and the state Department of Education have agreed to temporarily halt the district’s lawsuit over the reorganization while a new bill works its way through the legislative session.
A joint filing Friday with the first judicial court in Carson City states neither party will file or serve any more documents during until at least May 12. On or before May 12, the parties will either ask for another 30 days — depending on what happens in the legislature — or will continue with proceedings in the suit.
Judge James Wilson still needs to approve the request.
In 2015, the legislature signed off on Assembly Bill 394, which decentralizes the nation’s fifth-largest district and gives more power to individual schools and communities to make decisions. A set of regulations was also developed to further outline the reorganization.
The district originally filed suit in December and cited several issues with the overhaul, including the requirement to split funding 80-20 between schools and central services. The board also raised concern over the need for a weighted funding formula, which will assign more money to certain categories of students.
After concerns that trustees may have violated open meeting law, the district dismissed its first lawsuit and refiled in March.
A joint bill this session would write the reorganization regulations into law, likely making the school district’s lawsuit a moot point.
As of Friday afternoon, the bill had not been scheduled to come back for a vote in the Assembly education committee.
Contact Meghin Delaney at mdelaney@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0281. Follow @MeghinDelaney on Twitter.
Next steps
AB 469 was introduced before a joint meeting of the Senate and Assembly education committees. The Assembly education committee will need to pass the bill out of committee to the full Assembly for a vote.
If the assembly approves the bill, it will then be the Senate education committees turn to vote on the bill and send it to the Senate floor for a vote.
After that, the bill will head to Governor Brian Sandoval. The governor has indicated he will sign the bill into law in its current form.
