LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The Clark County School District is criticizing the State Board of Education’s vote that adopts draft language to change start times for high schools.
“Overwhelming statewide opposition to changing start times should be sufficient for the State Board of Education to reconsider its position,” said Superintendent Dr. Jesus F. Jara in a media release on Thursday. “Unfunded mandates, safety risks, student schedule disruption, impacts to families, staffing challenges, and lack of legal authority are being ignored as the Board moves this unpopular proposal forward.”
According to CCSD, the board of education does not have the statutory authority to set school start times.
On Thursday, the Nevada Board of Education sent a statement to ensure parents that “no regulations have been formally approved or adopted at this time.”
If the Nevada Legislative Counsel Bureau approves the language of the regulation, schools will have to adjust their start times by the 2025 – 2026 school calendar year.
Below is CCSD’s full statement:
The Clark County School District (CCSD) continues to express concerns about the Nevada State Board of Education’s discussions surrounding proposed changes to school start times.
As CCSD and other school districts have testified multiple times, state law does not give the Nevada State Board of Education the statutory authority to set school start times. CCSD remains hopeful that the Legislative Counsel Bureau and other state authorities will serve as the appropriate check and balance to inform the Board of Education of its overreach.
While Board of Education members have claimed overwhelming support for the change, they ignored the opposition from educational leaders at their meetings, including the 28-1 opposition to the regulation at the October 4, 2023 meeting. Three prior workshops with less than 20 attendees are insufficient participation for any regulation to proceed.
“Overwhelming statewide opposition to changing start times should be sufficient for the State Board of Education to reconsider its position,” said Superintendent Dr. Jesus F. Jara. “Unfunded mandates, safety risks, student schedule disruption, impacts to families, staffing challenges, and lack of legal authority are being ignored as the Board moves this unpopular proposal forward.”
Additionally, on September 28, the CCSD Board of School Trustees heard overwhelming opposition from the community on the potential changes necessary to accommodate a regulation regarding school start times.
