LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Students in Clark County are days away from summer vacation, and by the time they return to class in August, there will be changes to their campuses, including metal detectors for some schools.

Representatives from the Clark County School District said they don’t want to see a shift in how teachers receive evaluations, which is what Assembly Bill 269 would do if passed through Nevada’s senate.

“Evaluating an employee shouldn’t happen just on a one-time basis,” said Dr. Jesus Jara, superintendent of the school district. “When we look at the constant feedback that we give all employees, should be ongoing.”

Under the proposed bill, if a Nevada teacher receives two consecutive “effective” or “highly effective” evaluations, they could choose not to participate in teacher evaluations the following year.

In a letter to lawmakers opposing AB 269, representatives from the school district said the current evaluations need to “better align with our expectations for student outcomes.” CCSD data shows only one in five middle school students are proficient in math.

“This last couple of years, this board has allocated extra resources for teacher raises, for employee compensation,” said Jara. “So all of that clearly encompasses a clear focus on instruction.”

The Clark County Education Association, the state’s largest union, doesn’t have a position on AB 269, but they do question the district’s leadership.

“We believe educators aren’t afraid of accountability,” said Marie Neisses, president of the CCEA. “Our concern is more whether the superintendent is the right leadership for CCSD.”

During the 2023 legislative session, Nevada lawmakers sought to invest an additional $2.3 billion into state schools.

“[Educators] have concerns of [Jara’s] track record when it comes to student outcomes,” said Neisses. “Is he the right leader to effectively spend the historic investment that lawmakers are making in education?”

Scholaroo, a company dedicated to identifying available scholarships at educational institutions, conducted a survey that found Nevada ranked 49th in the country regarding student performance. The survey weighed reading and math test scores, high school graduation and dropout rates, and ACT and SAT scores.

AB 269 passed in the Nevada assembly and is in the Senate awaiting a vote for which a date has not been set.