CCSD Superintendent Jara still on the job but silent about next steps

Clark County School District Superintendent Jesus Jara remains connected the occupation past the day of his rescinded declaration termination, but his aboriginal with the territory remains shrouded successful uncertainty.

While schoolhouse territory representatives said Jara remained connected the occupation arsenic of Thursday — a time aft his declaration was to person ended — School Board President Linda Cavazos said helium has not attended a committee gathering successful much than a month.

It besides appears that helium has not informed the trustees whether helium plans to proceed successful the occupation successful the agelong term.

Jara’s attorney, John Bailey, didn’t respond Thursday to a petition for comment.

Trustees voted 4-3 during a gathering Nov. 18 to reverse a late October decision to terminate Jara’s declaration for “convenience,” meaning they didn’t request to supply a reason.

In a connection precocious Wednesday, the territory indicated that Jara is weighing his options.

“As Dr. Jara antecedently stated connected November 19th, ‘Given the concerns that I person antecedently expressed, we mean to enactment with the committee and its ineligible counsel to find if determination is simply a pathway that would let maine to proceed arsenic superintendent,’” it said.

His contract, which the committee extended successful May in a divided vote, continues done Jan. 15, 2023.

After the School Board terminated Jara’s contract, Bailey sent a letter to the committee saying the superintendent is owed much than $2.65 cardinal to wage retired the remainder of his declaration and resoluteness different allegations, including retaliation, breach of contract, usurpation of owed process and that trustees created a hostile enactment environment.

Cavazos said Thursday that she can’t remark connected immoderate of the ineligible issues and that caller committee lawyer Nicole Malich is handling the communications connected behalf of the board.

Malich did not respond to a Review-Journal petition for remark Thursday.

But astatine a gathering Tuesday of School Board officers focued connected projected grooming from the Nevada Association of School Boards, Trustee Evelyn Garcia Morales said that arsenic acold arsenic she knew “we inactive person a superintendent” and thing has been announced astir his intentions.

Cavazos did accidental that neither Jara nor immoderate typical from his bureau person attended a School Board gathering since Oct. 28.

Only unit who were making ceremonial presentations to the committee person attended meetings since then, she said, adding that a mates of territory staffers besides usually be each of the meetings.

During the precocious October School Board meeting, Vice President Irene Cepeda was the plaything ballot successful favour of terminating Jara’s contract. But Cepeda, on with Trustees Lola Brooks and Evelyn Garcia Morales, aboriginal requested an docket point to reconsider the declaration termination.

In a connection past month, Cepeda said she initially voted to terminate Jara’s declaration due to the fact that of a “toxic environment” connected the School Board and she couldn’t spot a way forward.

Cepeda besides said “more and much troubling information” had travel retired astir the process of Jara’s termination and enactment environment.

During a caller ballot past month, she joined Brooks, Garcia Morales and Katie Williams successful voting to rescind Jara’s declaration termination. Cavazos, and Trustees Danielle Ford and Lisa Guzman opposed the motion.

Jara has faced disapproval implicit handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the determination to run with 100 percent region learning for astir a twelvemonth opening successful March 2020, though the archetypal determination was precipitated by Gov. Steve Sisolak’s bid closing schools successful the state.

He besides came nether occurrence astatine a July 2020 School Board gathering for an erroneous connection helium made during a 2020 peculiar legislative league and an incorrect connection to the School Board astir a deadline for authorities support of the district’s reopening plan.

Contact Julie Wootton-Greener astatine jgreener@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-387-2921. Follow @julieswootton connected Twitter.