LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The dispute between the Clark County Education Association and the Clark County School District continued on Thursday morning with teacher rallies ahead of the CCSD School Board meeting.
Dozens of parents, teachers, and students donned blue CCEA shirts and held signs in front of Palo Verde High School Thursday morning.
“This just shows what kind of support we have here at the school we have quite a few students helping us out. It just shows that the kids love us as well,” said Kevin Hagood, a Palo Verde math teacher and CCEA school lead.
The teachers have been doing this for several weeks to bring attention to the contentious contract negotiations between the Clark County Education Association, which represents the teachers, and the school district. There are 18,000 teachers in the district.
The Nevada Legislature approved a one-time $250 million in funding for Nevada’s school districts.
CCEA members said there will be a large crowd at Thursday evening’s school board meeting. At the last meeting, around 4,000 teachers showed up, forcing the board to adjourn early. Teachers want a 10 percent salary increase the first year, and an 8 percent increase the following year. CCSD Superintendent Dr. Jesus Jara said there is not enough money to sustain those increases.
“That’s just helping us keep up with the cost of living,” Hagood said. “We’re trying to live in this time respectfully. We are professionals and we want to be treated as professionals and we also want to be paid as professionals.”
“You can’t continue to do things that this district has done in previous administrations and bankrupt the district,” Superintendent Dr. Jara told 8 News Now on the first day of school.
He has proposed several counteroffers since negotiations started, some of which CCEA president, Marie Neisess, said were a slap in the face.
“The latest offer just compressed everybody so tight that it’s hardly any difference between the start and the ending offered increases,” Hagood said.
On Tuesday, a judge ruled that the district can not stop teachers from striking though it is illegal for them to strike in the state of Nevada. The CCEA could face a fine each day if that happens.
Thursday evening’s school board meeting starts at 5 p.m.
