Clark County School District Superintendent Jhone Ebert on Thursday declared a reduction in force, signaling the next step in the district’s attempts to navigate decreased funding as enrollment declines.
Ebert said in an emailed statement to district employees that about 60 total teachers, social workers and counselors will be affected by the reduction in force. The district is also trying to secure positions for about 55 support professionals and approximately 50 administrators, she added.
The declaration comes four months after the district said it will have about $50 million less to fund schools next school year due to declining enrollment and increased employee payroll costs.
That budget drop led the district to identify 682 licensed employees as surplus, meaning their schools did not have the funding required to keep their positions. Licensed employees include jobs such as teachers, nurses and counselors.
“We have worked hard to place every single impacted employee, and made huge progress,” Ebert said. “However, today, I made the heavy decision to declare a Reduction in Force (RIF) for licensed personnel.”
A reduction in force is generally regarded as a process to dismiss employees as part of a restructuring, as opposed to a layoff, which can be temporary. The process’ full terms are laid out in Nevada law and the Clark County Education Association’s negotiated agreement with the district.
The teachers union said in an emailed statement that it has been working with the school district to address reduced funding. The union added that the district intends for retirements this summer to create open positions for all employees affected by the reduction in force.
“In that context, CCEA is working with CCSD to ensure that no CCSD educator will be laid off,” the union said.
The National Education Association of Southern Nevada, a smaller teachers union, criticized the school district’s handling of the latest surplus process in an emailed statement and said the reduction in force announcement marks “a heartbreaking day for CCSD educators.”
“The educators affected by these layoffs are not numbers on a spreadsheet. They are teachers, counselors, social workers, and education support professionals who have dedicated themselves to students, schools, and our community,” the union’s statement said in part. “They deserved a process that was transparent, predictable, and honest from the beginning.”
Contact Spencer Levering at slevering@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0253.
