LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The Nevada attorney general said the Clark County School District Board of Trustees violated the state’s open meeting law in 2021 when they met to discuss the superintendent’s contract.
In an opinion issued last week on Jan. 13, Attorney General Aaron Ford said the board failed “to give adequate notice to the public of the time change of its February 3, 2021, meeting.”
The attorney general’s opinion is scheduled to be discussed at the CCSD board’s next meeting on Thursday, Jan. 26.
The CCSD board had a work session on Feb. 3, 2021, to discuss and possibly approve action on giving Superintendent Dr. Jesus Jara notice that his employment contract would not be automatically renewed.
Ford said the board changed its meeting time from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. but did not provide “sufficient notice” to the public.
The board of trustees did re-issue its agenda on Feb. 2 with the change time from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
CCSD uses Eduvision on its website to list dates and times of the upcoming board meetings.
Yet, Ford said the board’s home did not include a prominent link to the Eduvision page or include a notice regarding the change in times.
Clark County resident Steven Cohen was the person who filed the complaint with the attorney general’s office alleging the CCSD board violated the state’s open meeting law.
Trustees extended Superintendent Jara’s contract on May 13, 2021, to Jan. 2023, but then terminated him on Oct. 28, 2021 “for convenience” – no specific reason was cited.
That action was later rescinded on Nov. 18, 2021.
Last year on Oct. 5, the CCSD board voted in favor of extending Jara’s contract until June 30, 2026, and raised his annual salary to $395,000.