LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Less than a week after getting the boot by the Clark County School District Board of Trustees, Superintendent Dr. Jesus Jara is spending more than $400,000 on raises for a handful of executives.
He also sent a memo to CCSD employees, thanking them for their support and designating Dec. 1. as his final day as superintendent.
Trustees are meeting Thursday to take up the question of how to go about replacing Jara, who they fired “for convenience” last week by a majority vote. The board meets Thursday, Nov. 4 at 5:00 p.m.
CCSD trustees voted 4-3 Thursday, Oct. 28, to terminate Jara’s contract.
Jara used the CCSD checkbook to increase salaries for 13 executive positions, and brought the salary of the President and General Manager of Vegas PBS fully under CCSD’s budget, removing Vegas PBS’s responsibility for part of the salary.
The chief financial officer and the chief information officer are set to get the biggest raises. The CFO will get a $44,892 raise, and the information officer will get $40,764 more.
Among the other positions: CCSD’s regional superintendents, who will get an average bump in salary of about $26,500.
Jara’s memo on the raises says, “Early in 2021, I informed the Board of School Trustees of the need to review and revise compensation for Executive Cabinet members. In August 2021, the Board of School Trustees approved Regulation 4291 providing the Superintendent with the authority to adjust salaries for “At Will” employees.”
Clark County School District employees heard from Superintendent Dr. Jesus Jara for the first time since the meeting on Thursday.
On Tuesday afternoon, Dr. Jara sent out the following statement.
I appreciate all the love and support I have received from across the district and the community since Thursday night. The achievements we made over the last three years for our students make me so proud, and I have no regrets for my decision to always put our kids first. Together, we worked tirelessly to get back in the classroom, all while protecting and educating our children through the ravages of a worldwide pandemic. The employees of CCSD made this possible, and there is no better team to have had by my side through these efforts.
I remain superintendent until December 1, 2021, and I pray that you remain focused on doing your work no matter who holds the title of superintendent. It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as your coworker and the superintendent of CCSD. Never lose sight of the reasons you chose a career in education; putting kids first has been and always will be my driving force. Continue the important work of educating our kids, their future is our future, and their success will be our success.
Dr. Jesus Jara, CCSD Superintendent
