The Clark County School District Board of Trustees voted at its May 13 meeting to extend Superintendent Dr. Jesus Jara’s contract until January 15, 2023.

In a close 4-3 vote, Trustees Katie Williams, Lola Brooks, Evelyn Garcia Morales, and Irene Cepeda voted to approve the contract extension, with Trustees Danielle Ford, Lisa Guzman, and Linda Cavazos voting against.

Before the vote, Trustee Guzman expressed concerns about a closed meeting conducted in April, and whether that private meeting was a violation of Nevada Open Meeting Law. At the private meeting, Superintendent Jara conducted a survey among Board Members to gauge his chances of a contract extension, with Trustee Guzman mentioning that Superintendent Jara had told her and others that he “had the votes” for his contract extension based on the results of the survey conducted at the private meeting.

CCSD Attorney Mary Anne Miller responded to Trustee Guzman’s concerns by explaining that Jara was not under an obligation to keep the contract confidential, that trustees had been told their vote was nonbinding, and faced with the potential of litigation – a survey was allowed to be conducted.

After the 4-3 vote, Jara expressed his gratitude on Twitter, writing “I’m grateful that the Board of School Trustees members have voted to extend my contract. I am humbled and honored by the opportunity to continue to serve this wonderful community and our 310,000 students and 42,000 employees.”

Superintendent Jara’s salary of $320,000, and other details of his contract remain unchanged.

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