School board extends CCSD superintendent’s contract

Pat Skorkowsky, who took the helm as chief of Clark County schools in 2013, will remain in that position for at least two more years.

In a unanimous vote Thursday, the Clark County School Board approved a two-year extension to Skorkowsky's contract as superintendent of the nation's fifth-largest school district. The board faced a Monday deadline to give Skorkowsky written notice if it decided not to extend his contract beyond June 30.

Trustees expressed gratitude for and pride in Skorkowsky, who will continue to lead the district during what promises to be a critical period in its history.

Over the next two years, lawmakers will draft and implement a plan to reorganize the sprawling district, which serves over 320,000 students, into smaller precincts to increase student achievement and boost local control.

"We're in the middle of some amazing work to move the district forward," Skorkowksy said before the board's vote. "We've seen some great results in our high school graduation (and) our Advanced Placement rate.

"We're in the middle of AB 394," he added, referring to the reorganization. "So (the two-year extension) gets us to the implementation timeline so we have consistency within the district."

Since 2013, the graduation rate has ticked up slightly from 71.5 percent to 72.1 percent last year. The district has seen significant improvement with more English language learners receiving a diploma, though the graduation rate has slipped among students from low-income households and those who identify as black or with two or more races.

Skorkowsky has pledged to increase the overall graduation rate to 82 percent for the Class of 2019.

He also pledged to reduce the overall achievement gap between the highest-performing subgroup and ethnic and racial subgroups in elementary and middle schools. However, during his first year as superintendent, the achievement gap widened in math at both school levels and in reading at middle schools.

It's difficult to judge student performance since the 2013-14 school year after systemic computer glitches hampered statewide proficiency testing last spring.

"We're still working to increase our work in students of color initiatives. We are working to decrease our achievement gaps," Skorkowsky said.

"There are so many things that we still got to keep working on," he added. "The problem is we don't have the data to necessarily support it, so we are doing what we can to use what measures we can to go forward."

Asked what challenges remain for the district, Skorkowsky highlighted career and technical education and implementation of a bill that requires reading proficiency by the time students reach the third grade.

Skorkowsky is paid an annual salary of $260,000 — one of the highest for any Nevada public employee. He oversees the education of about 320,000 students. His contract also provides a $700 monthly car allowance, $600 per month to offset costs of participating in community events and $4,000 for professional development.

On Thursday, Skorkowsky requested no pay raise or significant changes to his benefits.

"It's important to recognize that we're all in this together," Skorkowsky said. "And until we're able to do for all, there's no reason I would ask for more (money)."

On Monday, Skorkowsky will deliver his third State of the District address at Cimarron-Memorial High School and plans to highlight progress made under his strategic vision.

District B Trustee Chris Garvey, however, shared her evaluation of Skorkowsky's performance on Thursday and remarked on the board's initial decision to hire him three years ago.

After former Superintendent Dwight Jones left the district, trustees were criticized for choosing an internal replacement with no experience as a superintendent rather than conducting a national search.

"When we were faced with having to find a replacement, I put my money on somebody I thought would take us to really good places," Garvey told Skorkowsky. "And so far, you are making me look really good.

"I am very excited that we have the opportunity for another two years to continue that journey."

— Contact Neal Morton at nmorton@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0279. Find him on Twitter: @nealtmorton