LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — College students shall be again within the classroom on the Clark County Faculty District on Monday.
The district’s superintendent, Jhone Ebert, was made obtainable for one-on-one interviews.
Beneath is that dialog the place Ebert mentioned a spread of issues, together with boosting scholar efficiency, extending the varsity day, pushing again college begin occasions, and rising scholar security.
The interview has been edited for readability.
Clark County Faculty District Superintendent Jhone Ebert discusses college security and faculty begin occasions forward of the 2025 -2026 college 12 months. (KLAS)
8 Information Now: We had been speaking earlier than this began about every little thing you’ve happening for the primary day. Any jitters? Or what are you experiencing?
Jhone Ebert: Oh, sure. Completely, butterflies. It isn’t my first day of college, clearly, however it’s my first day because the superintendent for the Clark County Faculty District. I am nonetheless waking up earlier than the alarm goes off, and excited to get everybody within the school rooms and let’s get going for the 2025-2026 college 12 months.
8 Information Now: Together with your background because the superintendent of public instruction, you’ve got seen the English Language Arts and math scores. I feel subsequent month is when the Nevada Division of Training releases them [for the previous school year], and you’ve got seen the upward trajectory the state has made in all faculties within the state, particularly for CCSD. What do you anticipate to see in these numbers once they come out subsequent month? And the way do you assume you’ll be able to supercharge scholar efficiency?
Jhone Ebert: Yeah, these numbers will come out on September 15. We do have a preliminary indication simply wanting on the uncooked knowledge. It isn’t official that we are going to have progress made in a number of areas. Attributable to that’s the consistency of workers, proper? Holding the workers that now we have and ensuring they’re within the faculties. That they are educated. That now we have the supplies that the academics want, which had been supplied out of ESSER funds three years in the past. So, utilizing the supplies, being constant, having children within the classroom. That may be a large piece as effectively. You may’t achieve success as a scholar for those who’re not in class.
And , statewide, that is when it is constructive to have a drop. The power absenteeism price it dropped 9 proportion factors statewide. So, getting again to the norm and the pre-pandemic, I absolutely anticipate this time subsequent 12 months we’ll be manner above the pre-pandemic scores. We’ll wait for the official ones this 12 months. However sure, upward pattern, absolutely anticipate it and anticipate extra popping out of this 12 months.
8 Information Now: One of many belongings you talked about if you had been being interviewed as a candidate for superintendent was longer college days. How is that going?
Jhone Ebert: Yeah, so we do have faculties already which have extra time added to their educational day. And we even have faculties which have added days. So, it isn’t one thing new for the Clark County Faculty District. It’s one thing, although, that we do want to handle. We’re evaluating ourselves, you simply requested about check scores. We’re evaluating ourselves to college students and faculties which have half an hour, 40 minutes longer college day than we do right here, in addition to an extended college 12 months. And it is about time, , how a lot interplay and time do our youngsters have with our wonderful academics and our school rooms, with the helps that comes alongside in class, and the co-curricular actions simply membership, dance, theater, music, band. All of these actions in after college. So, sure. Wish to see that occur. We clearly do want to hunt extra funding to have that occur with the legislature. Nevertheless it’s one thing that’s wanted and, fairly frankly, that our youngsters deserve.
8 Information Now: You recognize, as a state superintendent, you, in your earlier position, you had been there when the Nevada Division of Training, the Board of Training, tried to push again highschool begin occasions. On the time, CCSD was in opposition to it. However now that you are the superintendent of CCSD, what’s your stance on pushing again highschool begin occasions?
Jhone Ebert: We’re going to put out a survey this fall that asks our group precisely that. What do they see in class begin occasions? The prior administration, there have been numerous considerations in regard do now we have sufficient buses to have the ability to try this work. I’ve had the workforce right here take a look at do now we have sufficient buses. Can we transfer even simply half-hour in order that the excessive faculties do not begin any sooner than 7:30? That simply strikes every little thing. Thirty minutes and it is doable. However I do wish to exit and ask the group the place they want to see this. We all know in different states there are legal guidelines already in place the place college begin time, you do not begin earlier than 8 a.m., and in some locations, 8:30 a.m. We have now our excessive faculties now beginning at 7 a.m. And so in some situations, they’re on buses beginning at 6 a.m. when they need to be sleeping.
8 Information Now: Nevada lawmakers handed open enrollment. How do you see that taking part in out [at CCSD]?
Jhone Ebert: We have now had open enrollment in CCSD for a few years, really a long time. Let me again up. It is the assemble of open enrollment that has been completely different. So, college selection has been made obtainable within the Clark County Faculty District. We lately referred to as it COSA and hundreds of individuals have been collaborating in class selection that manner. We’re clearing the air. We notice folks do not perceive COSA, however they perceive open enrollment – what you simply stated. So, altering the title to open enrollment. Mother and father do have the chance to take part in that. If there are seats obtainable on the college that they want their baby to attend, then there’s a course of that we comply with, after which we fill these seats till the varsity is full.
8 Information Now: So the regulation does not battle with COSA?
Jhone Ebert: It simply amplifies. And that is what we discovered that there was some confusion there.
8 Information Now: Because the state superintendent, as a result of you’ve that distinctive background the place you noticed throughout the state what is going on on and , the numbers and the info. There’s a rise in dad and mom selecting constitution faculties over public faculties. Is there a priority subsequent month if you lastly get a tally on enrollment numbers? Is it going to be decrease as a result of now your faculties are competing with constitution faculties?
Jhone Ebert: I’ve been monitoring the info proper now, as we’re sitting right here, we’re concerning the precisely the identical the place we had been this time final 12 months. So, enrollment in the present day isn’t taking place, however we’re additionally, we’re again up. I additionally do consider in class selection, whether or not it is constitution, non-public college or homeschool. I would like although the Clark County Faculty District to be the household’s first selection. What I discovered now, I am day 81 within the job. What I discovered thus far is that there’s this piece of the universe the place folks do not know CCSD, they usually’re opting out earlier than they even know their neighborhood college. And we have to change that narrative. And so thanks once more. You recognize, the media must get on the market and present what now we have.
So we’re nationally identified in lots of areas and gold stars in so many areas. However that feeling of, , this group and faculty has not been constructive over the previous couple of years. Each child that I’ve spoken with and household, they’re excited to get again to highschool. They’re excited to see CCSD, and I would like that pleasure for each baby. So, we’re driving for full transparency the place we’re doing effectively, the place we’re not doing effectively, , and that is what I’ve requested you…it is advisable to report the place we’re not doing effectively. Please make sure that it is simply honest and correct, the place, dad and mom have the correct data to make the correct selection.
It might be a neighborhood college that they wish to go to, or they wish to go to a magnet college as a result of there’s aviation at Rancho Excessive Faculty, they usually need their baby to grow to be a pilot. All of these items coming collectively and altering the narrative. We’re going to be the vacation spot college district. We’re a vacation spot group. We’ll be the vacation spot college district.
8 Information Now: The final query I had is simply wanting ahead. What extra when it comes to security can CCSD do to maintain weapons out of the campus and scale back violence?
Jhone Ebert: So the variety of weapons on campus has gone down barely. I do know that you simply report on it very well. Thanks once more. There’s one occasion, , report the details. We have to make it possible for households that do have weapons within the residence, that they’re locked up, that our college students shouldn’t have entry to these types of weapons. We additionally have to make it possible for our college students are saying one thing once they know or hear. If there’s even only a rumor going round that they use both SafeVoice, or that they inform their trainer straight away. They inform their principal, any grownup on campus. After which on high of all of that, this isn’t going to be tolerated within the Clark County Faculty District, ever. And as a whole group, it’ll take all of us to verify our faculties are protected, whether or not it’s in regard to weapons, whether or not it is the visitors security round our faculties, whether or not it’s simply your entire atmosphere, well being and security. Firstly, you’ll be able to’t have studying atmosphere if the varsity isn’t protected. And that is vital to me.
8 Information Now: The steel detectors at each highschool are they everlasting?
Jhone Ebert: We do the random checks. We may have them the primary week of college. Completely. We may have them out. Our college police, we our coordinated with our emergency workforce. They are going to be activated that complete first day simply to get make it possible for all people’s rolling. Our buses are rolling. Nicely, we’re coordinated with Metro, and the opposite municipalities, in order that, ensuring now we have a decent partnership, and communication will assist eradicate these points that now we have now.
8 Information Now: All proper. Thanks a lot. I want you the most effective of luck. You and the 18,000 licensed workers members.
Jhone Ebert: About 18,000 academics, 44,000 workers. Whole for 300,000 children. If I can add only one phrase. Site visitors in our metropolis. When you consider that, 300,000 youngsters which have been at residence over the summer season and their dad and mom are going to start out shifting on Monday. Depart early, depart 10 to fifteen minutes early. Give grace to our new bus drivers as they had been out training their routes. If all of us simply take somewhat extra time and charm and what we’re doing shall be profitable.
