CCSD Trustees open search for firm to help find superintendent candidates

The search marks the first step to what could be months-long search for a new superintendent. 

Clark County School District Board of Trustees unanimously voted last week to open up a request for proposal (RFP) to hire an individual or firm to help the board find superintendent candidates.

The RFP will be open for three weeks and the board will go over the vendors in mid-May. The chosen firm will then be tasked with identifying qualified candidates for the position.

Although the board hasn’t decided yet whether it will pursue a local or nationwide search, it is aiming for the new superintendent to be in place by Nov. 1 or sooner. The board considered rushing the search and having the new superintendent start in May, but decided that “being quick without being in a hurry” is the best course of action. 

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A national search could cost the district $60,000 to $100,000 and take between three to six months, while a search in Nevada could cost between $1,000 to $20,000 and could take one to two months. 

Public hearings will be held over the next few months for parents, students, employees, bargaining groups and community members to share what they would like to see from the next superintendent. 

“It’s not seven trustees picking one superintendent,” said Kenny Belknap, a high school government teacher and treasurer for the Clark County Education Association, during public comment. “It’s the entire community coming together and finding best paths forward to make our students successful and our education system successful,” 

The board also voted last week to negotiate an employment contract agreement with Interim Superintendent Brenda Larsen-Mitchell — who previously worked under Superintendent Jesus Jara and took over after Jara resigned in February.