LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — From increasing funding for education to paying teachers more, Superintendent Dr. Jesus Jara shared his wish list for the Clark County School District in 2023 on Friday.
Newly inaugurated Gov. Joe Lombardo was also there to show his support for the plans to improved the quality of education in Southern Nevada.
A local mother who spoke with KTNV said she is concerned for her 8-year-old son, who attends third grade at a CCSD school.
"When you look at the stats, I see a lot of kids fall out of high school and don't even complete school in Las Vegas, and that is my biggest concern," Sravani Atluri told KTNV.
Atluri says she fears the school district does not give educators the tools they need to provide a quality education to her son. She says overcrowded classrooms make teacher and student engagement challenging.
"There are 28 students in the classroom, and that's a lot," she said.
She's considering serious action — taking her child out of public school and enrolling him in private school, "because the school ratings are not that great," Atluri said.
Jara may have had parents like Atluri in mind during his State of the Schools address Friday morning. He presented the issues he will target this year in the school district.
"We got oversized classrooms, we have facility maintenance issues, we have to pay our teachers, we have our educators, there is a long list," Jara said.
He also identified teacher satisfaction as a concern he believes impacts the quality of education. He says it's a priority to compensate teachers appropriately.
"Whether it is instructional materials, whether it is the class size, or the entire system that has to be built, and this is why it will be discussed with our bargaining unit," Jara said.
Jara says Nevada has spent below-average funding on our schools, resulting in below-average performance. Gov. Lombardo agreed in his State of the State address on Monday, when he said he wants to boost investment in Nevada schools by $2 billion.
If it's approved by the legislature, how would Jara like the district to spend that money?
"The workforce is key, lowering class sizes is another one, instructional materials for our students, mental health for kids and adults," he said.
Cameron Clark, who is the father to three CCSD students, says words and promises are great, but it's time for action from district leaders.
"If you are going to invest the taxpayer dollars into this, and you call it an investment, then we want to see results," Clark said.
