LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Clark County School District is out of compliance with state law.
Assembly Bill 469 mandates that schools, not the district, have the majority of control over their budgets.
The bill was passed during Nevada's 79th Legislative Session back in 2017 and signed into law by then-Gov. Brian Sandoval after a push to break up the school district.
Under AB469, schools would have 85% control over their budget while CCSD would have only 15% control.
The law also gives school principals the ability to do things like select their own staff, purchase services, and break down their own budget.
At Thursday night’s school board meeting, Supt. Dr. Jesus Jara addressed the issue, saying he understands there’s a need to make changes in the district to be in compliance with the state law. He also added that CCSD has been making progress towards that goal.
Attendees expressed their concerns during the public comment portion of the meeting. One man said he doesn’t understand why the law hasn’t been implemented.
“The district doesn’t want to do it. The reason for this bill was to put more power to schools and there were conversations about breaking up the school district. We are seeing those conversations emerge. I hope this board understands that if it does not follow the law the public would decide if this board would exist. We need to put those dollars to the schools.”
Meanwhile, the Nevada State Board of Education discussed some consequences for CCSD’s non-compliance, including intervening in the district.
