LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Clark County School District has been without a permanent superintendent for more than a year, but that will soon change.
Monday night, a community forum was held at Rancho High School, giving students, staff and parents the chance to ask three superintendent candidates the tough questions — some of which you brought to Channel 13, and we brought to them.
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Watch CCSD superintendent candidates meet the public at community forum
Whether you were there in person or online, community members all wanted to hear from the finalists hoping to secure CCSD's top spot.
- Ben Shuldiner, the Superintendent of Lansing School District in Michigan
- Dr. Jesse Welsh, the CEO of Nevada State High School
- Jhone Ebert, the Nevada State Superintendent of Public Instruction
While everyone has their own concerns, a few major themes stood out such as teacher retention, school safety, student achievement, budget challenges and many more. What was clear for community members though was this: they don't want real solutions, they need them.
"Every child who goes to CCSD should have a quality education, and right now, there's some great schools, but that is not universal," one parent told Channel 13.
This is how each candidate responded when asked how they plan to turn the district around from being one of the worst ranked in the nation.
Starting with Ben Shuldiner, the current superintendent of Lansing School District in Michigan. He said:
"We can't paper things over. We can't say, 'oh, you know, everything's great. It's not.'...120 plus one-star schools, we've got to fix that. Graduation rate of 81%, we've got to fix that. Proficiency rates in math in high school, less than 20%, we've got to fix that. But the way that you do that is by having systems, and structures, and accountability, and support."
Then there's Jhone Ebert, the Nevada Superintendent of Public Instruction. She was reappointed by Gov. Joe Lombardo in January 2023. She said:
"There are people that want to see the Clark County School District be successful. They want to be in classrooms. They want to support. They have not been given the opportunity or the guardrails on how to participate...the Clark County School District can and should be, and will be, a destination school district."
And lastly, there's Dr. Jesse Welsh, the CEO of Nevada State High School. He said:
"We really do need to be open, accountable and transparent about what's happening in the district and how we solve problems. I think too often we're trying to put a rosy picture on things. We need to be honest about where we are and then be specific about the next steps that we're gonna take. See if those things are working. If not, then we need to make adjustments."
Faculty members questioned how the next superintendent would address the ongoing teacher shortage, while parents pushed for stronger security and mental health support in schools.
"What's most important is someone that has the experience — proven experience, let me say that, proven experience — in dealing with a district this size," a parent told Channel 13.
"At the end of the day, to me, it's more about skill sets and about their desire to actually move the needle forward," another parent told us.
In just days, the district's next leader will be named, and these parents, teachers and students are hoping for someone who will bring much needed change.
Those who attended the forum are also now asked to submit their feedback on each candidate. You can share your feedback on Dr. Jesse Welsh here, Jhone Ebert here, and Ben Shuldiner here.
And while Monday night gave the community a chance to voice their concerns, the decision is far from made. On Tuesday, the district Board of Trustees will formally interview the candidates, and on Thursday, we should know who will lead CCSD forward.
Did you miss the community forum? Don't worry! You can watch the full livestream right here!
