LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — On Thursday, the Clark County School District Board of Trustees voted to approve the resignation of Dr. Jesus Jara as the district's superintendent.
At 5 p.m. on Friday, Jara was officially no longer an employee of the district, thus ending a tenure of over five years that was often contentious.
"I think it was important to part ways and move forward," says Rebecca Dirks Garcia, a local parent and an administrator for a popular CCSD parents Facebook page.
For the interim, the superintendent duties will be handled by Dr. Brenda Larsen-Mitchell, the district's former deputy superintendent. At Thursday's board meeting, Larsen-Mitchell noted that she feels students in the district need "stability in these trying times" before agreeing to take on the interim superintendent role.
It's possible that Larsen-Mitchell could be a candidate for the permanent job, but it's also possible that the district could perform a national search.
According to documents presented during the Thursday board meeting, a national search could cost as much as $100,000 and last as long as six months. A more localized search would likely cost much less and could be much quicker.
"When we ask CCSD parents in our [Facebook] group, overwhelmingly, we are hearing that people want a fresh perspective from outside the district," Dirks Garcia said.
Some in the business community also want that. Cara Clarke, a spokeswoman for the Vegas Chamber, says it's important to the business community that a good hire is made.
"The Vegas Chamber would like a national search to find the next superintendent," Clarke said.
The board is scheduled to meet again next month.
"The next big thing is how we move forward," Garcia said.
As part of a separation package, Jara will receive a lump sum payment of $250,000.
In a 500-word farewell letter sent out Friday evening, Jara said, in part, that his time in Las Vegas was "the highlight" of his career.
He neglected to offer a reason for his resignation.
You can read the full letter below.
"Dear CCSD Employees,
It is with a profound sense of gratitude and reflection that I write to thank the 300,000 students, 42,000 employees, numerous trustees, the families of the Clark County School District, and the Southern Nevada community for entrusting me with a role of such magnitude. Serving as your superintendent for nearly six years has been a lifetime opportunity and certainly the highlight of my career as an educator.
As any superintendent would tell you, undertaking the responsibilities inherent in the superintendent role is challenging. Still, we all choose to do it anyway because advancing the cause of ensuring educational opportunities for all children and affecting positive change is the only way to make their future and our society better.
Throughout my career, unwavering devotion to ensuring access and equity in public education has been my guiding principle and professional pursuit. I owe my educational journey, from its inception to attaining higher education degrees, to the guiding hands of many educators who recognized and facilitated opportunities for my future. I believe that my life was changed in the same way the lives of countless students are changed every day in our schools because they are assured by impassioned educators that their circumstances, their dreams, and their passions matter, thereby opening their minds to see that anything is possible.
My personal story as an undocumented immigrant underscores the inherent struggles faced by families like mine, navigating the complexities of being a newcomer. During my tenure in southern Nevada, I dedicated myself to alleviating the challenges associated with educational access for immigrant families. Please continue to embrace our immigrant families and their children; they need you more than you know.
It takes a community for public education to succeed beyond basics or minimums. Regrettably, we have yet to reach a point where our collective efforts have made high standards the expectation. I appeal to all stakeholders to set aside adult differences and unite in a collaborative endeavor to enhance wrap-around services, family support and engagement, opportunities, and fundamental social services. By doing so, we can create an environment where our children can focus on their education and learning, unencumbered by worries about necessities like whether they will eat, have clean clothes, or if their parents will be there for them when school is out. This community can unite for our kids—no matter what it takes. We must leave the world better off than we found it.
I implore each member of the community to meet our children where they are and provide them with the support they need. It is all our duty to ensure they don’t slip through the cracks to the detriment of our society.
I look forward to watching the District's success from the sidelines and anticipate seeing sustained collaboration and commitment to excellence in the noble pursuit of educating the next generation of leaders of tomorrow.
Again, I thank our 42,000 CCSD employees for your continued commitment to our students and for working with me to improve the 300,000 lives we serve every day.
We are CCSD!
Warmest regards,
Dr. Jesus F. Jara"
