Thursday, March 31, 2005
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

School district plans national searches to replace three retiring administrators

The retirement of three top administrators in the Clark County School District will prompt national searches for their replacements, Superintendent Carlos Garcia said this week.

The departure of Dusty Dickens, George Ann Rice and Maurice Flores this summer will open critical positions in fast-growing district. All three administrators have about 30 years of experience, and salaries ranging from about $95,000 to $115,000.

As the director for the district's demographics, zoning and realty department, Dickens oversees land acquisitions for new schools and works with the committee that establishes zoning boundaries.

Rice, head of the district's human resources department, leads one of the nation's largest teacher recruitment programs.

Flores is superintendent of the district's East region.

Although district officials are combing the nation for candidates, Garcia said he has not dismissed hiring replacements from within the district. Garcia hopes to have the positions filled by no later than June.

"Whoever comes into these jobs is going to have to have a very quick learning curve," Garcia said. The replacements will have to adjust to a district which grows by 12,000 to 15,000 students each year, Garcia said.

Coping with growth is what Dickens has done in her time with the district. She has held two administrative positions with the demographics, zoning and realty department. In her time in those positions voters have approved five bond measures to build new schools. The latest one, in 1998, was a $3.5 billion proposal to build 88 new schools in a 10-year period.

"It's really exciting to be part of that growing process," she said. "You really do see change in the valley and feel like you're part of it when you're in that position."

Rice, who declined to comment for this story, has also had to adapt to the population explosion in the district. Despite a national teacher shortage, the human resource department hires about 2,000 new teachers every year from about 43 states. The district was the first in the state to recruit overseas when three district officials traveled to the Philippines early last month.

Flores served in several capacities for the school district during his 33 years. He's been principal of three elementary schools, and has held his current position since 2001.