NEVADA VIEWS: Blame administrators for school district’s problems

Interim Superintendent Brenda Larsen-Mitchell has now admitted to using the wrong criteria to calculate a funding formula, a mistake that has left schools underfunded, depriving students of resources they desperately need. In true bureaucratic fashion, she has conveniently shifted the blame elsewhere, which is ironic given that, just days ago, she sent out a districtwide email proudly declaring she would not be applying for the permanent superintendent position.

But here’s the real question: What was Larsen-Mitchell doing while the math wasn’t mathing?

To say that schools are underfunded is an understatement. Teachers in overcrowded classrooms, crumbling infrastructure and dwindling support services are all glaring signs of systemic failure. Yet those at the top — individuals with long titles, fancy degrees and shiny résumés — continue to make blunders that have tangible, painful consequences for our students.

This isn’t just about the numbers on a spreadsheet. It’s about leadership — or, more accurately, the lack of it. Larsen-Mitchell sits in one of the most important educational roles in Nevada, and her inability to catch such a critical error exposes glaring incompetence. It begs the question of whether anyone at the district’s highest levels is truly paying attention.

What makes this situation worse is the timing. Less than a week ago, Larsen-Mitchell told the entire district she wouldn’t seek the superintendent position permanently, a move that now feels less like humility and more like a pre-emptive dodge. Perhaps she saw the writing on the wall — that the mismanagement, the overlooked errors and the lack of accountability would all eventually catch up.

For far too long, district leadership positions — such as superintendent, CFO or deputy-whatever — have been treated as placeholders for individuals who know how to navigate the political backrooms but lack the skills to deliver results. Nepotism, favoritism and complacency have paved the way for costly mistakes. The school district, like many institutions, is no stranger to these problems. But at some point, the damage becomes too obvious to ignore.

When leadership fails, students suffer. It’s not Larsen-Mitchell who will sit in an overcrowded classroom or go without essential resources — it’s the kids. It’s the teachers. It’s the parents who trust the system to work. This isn’t just a miscalculation. It’s a betrayal of that trust.

The district doesn’t need more placeholders. It needs competent, accountable leaders who do more than collect titles and defer blame. It’s time we start demanding that individuals in these roles prove themselves through results, not credentials. Leaders who can’t add up funding formulas shouldn’t be leading multimillion-dollar districts.

Larsen-Mitchell’s email was clear: She’s stepping aside. Maybe that’s for the best. But moving forward, let this serve as a wake-up call. The “math not mathing” is just one symptom of a larger issue — one where accountability, transparency and true competency have taken a back seat to titles and connections.

It’s time for a culture shift. Our students deserve better. The district deserves better. The next superintendent must be someone whose leadership can’t be reduced to buzzwords or finger-pointing, but someone who understands that when the math doesn’t add up, the solutions have to start at the top. Perhaps someone who honestly understands education on a larger scale, and not one of benchmark scores and wasted analytics.

Jacob Schilleci has been a teacher with the Clark County School District for 16 years.