State of the schools speech emphasizes progress, room for growth

Interim Superintendent Brenda Larsen-Mitchell did not mince words during her State of the Schools address.

“I will be the first one to say, we are not where we need to be,” Larsen-Mitchell said during her Wednesday speech.

Clark County School District student outcomes were not where they needed to be, she said. Less than one-third of the district’s students in third through eighth grades are proficient in math, and 39 percent are proficient in English language arts, according to the 2024 Nevada State Report Card.

Still, Larsen-Mitchell, who has been with the district for three decades, said she was proud of the progress CCSD has made over the years, from lower absenteeism rates to higher levels of college and career readiness.

Emceed by Del Sol Academy of the Arts student Alana Ohuche, Wednesday morning’s event featured videos highlighting a range of aspects of the Clark County School District, from its career and technical programs to its family engagement.

It also featured speakers from top administrators and student performances.

Progress

Larsen-Mitchell highlighted the 3 percentage point decrease in chronic absenteeism. She noted that attendance officers had made 20,000 home visits during the first half of the school year.

The school district is launching a new initiative called Every Day Matters. Businesses can call CCSD if students are there during school hours, and CCSD officials will come pick them up.

Larsen-Mitchell emphasized the district’s progress, including the 96 percent classroom fill rate and 94 percent employee retention rate.

She also said the district was down to an 11 percent suspension rate and 17 percent discretionary expulsions. College and career readiness is also up by 43 percent since 2019, Larsen-Mitchell said.

Larsen-Mitchell also thanked the nonprofit organizations and municipalities that support the district, which she said made up $3.1 million.

“The data represents stories of real people working really hard,” she said of the progress.

The budget

Larsen-Mitchell also referenced the district’s work on the budget this past year, calling it a “very humbling experience.”

“I bet you heard a little bit about this in the news,” she joked.

The school district announced a potential budget deficit this fall, initially estimated at $20 million. The school district ultimately made up for it with its ending funding balance, which is essentially the amount left over from the previous year.

The school district also miscalculated individual school budgets, causing schools to make cuts later to adjust. CCSD under projected the average cost of a licensed educator by $5,700, which, when multiplied for the 16,500 educators it budgeted for, meant almost $100 million spread across schools.

Gov. Joe Lombardo and Nevada Superintendent of Public Instruction Jhone Ebert assigned Yolanda King as a compliance monitor for the district.

‘Seeing a fresh start’

It was Larsen-Mitchell’s first and last State of the Schools address.

Having served as the interim superintendent since Jara’s departure in February, she told staff in December that she would not be putting her name in for the fulltime role. The deadline for applications is Feb. 5.

When asked about this decision on Wednesday morning, Larsen-Mitchell said that she was grateful for her time as interim superintendent, but she had “full confidence and faith” in the Clark County School Board’s ability to pick an amazing superintendent.

“I’m looking forward to the district seeing a fresh start,” she said.

Larsen-Mitchell did not respond to a follow-up question regarding whether she would remain in the school district. Communications Director Tod Story told the Review-Journal: “Next question.”

Contact Katie Futterman at kfutterman@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ktfutts on X and @katiefutterman.bsky.social.