CCSD trustees back off plan to bring on outside person to oversee mandated overhaul

A falling out between the Clark County School Board and Superintendent Pat Skorkowsky subsided somewhat after trustees decided not to take action this week on a proposal to hire a separate leader who would oversee the district’s reorganization and other legislative efforts.

The plan appeared to some as an attempt to limit Skorkowsky’s power and delay the mandated overhaul effort.

It initially prompted a strong response from Skorkowsky, who presented a legal memo to the board explaining that the move would violate his contract with the district.

District B Trustee Chris Garvey said she’d bring a “properly noticed” proposal back so that the superintendent does not feel threatened.

Yet she explained the intent behind the idea, noting the hours that staff had been working on the reorganization effort.

“At the time, the conversation that was brought to the superintendent was to see about having someone who could come in and work with the trustees to help with some of those unexpected legislative mandates,” Garvey said at a Thursday night meeting.

The resolution comes after a tumultuous time between the board and superintendent this week, with state Sen. Michael Roberson, R-Henderson, warning the board that it must follow the law and continue with the reorganization work.

Board President Linda Young said she was taken aback about the perception of the proposal.

“Under no circumstances was it anything to move forward in a very negative way or anything that’s against anyone,” she said.

Jan Jones Blackhurst, a Caesar Entertainment executive, had been floated as a potential candidate for such a role. She serves on the Public Education Foundation’s board of directors.

Garvey said she’d reach out to members of the community who might want to advise the district for free.

But District F Trustee Carolyn Edwards had concerns about reaching out to particular people.

“I think you reaching out to somebody means that any of us could reach out to other people,” she said. “That’s not the way we should do this. We should have the discussion first before we reach out to a specific person.”

Clark County Education Association Executive Director John Vellardita still called the move a “power play.”

“I don’t think you operate in good faith, Trustee Garvey,” he said. “I am questioning whether or not you’ve already had a conversation and I really wonder what the intention is.”

Skorkowsky told trustees the issue wasn’t over hurt feelings, but how plans for the district’s organizational structure were presented to him in a meeting with trustees.

“I want to work with you guys, I want to work and make things successful,” he said. “That’s what we’re all about.”

District G Trustee Erin Cranor, who is the board representative on the Community Implementation Council that oversees the reorganization transition, said this week that she’d like to stay on the council.

That seemingly smoothed some issues between the board and the council that stemmed from the hiring of an outside consultant done without the board’s input.

Contact Amelia Pak-Harvey at 702-383-4630 or apak-harvey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AmeliaPakHarvey on Twitter.