‘An unusual situation’: CCSD board weighs next steps after trustee’s resignation

At its first meeting since Trustee Katie Williams resigned, it remained unclear how the Clark County School Board would now handle what some have called its most consequential decision: the search for a new superintendent of the Clark County School District.

Williams’ resignation, brought on after the district attorney’s office filed a petition to make her seat vacant because of its determination that she was no longer a resident of Nevada, comes in the middle of the board’s search for a new superintendent, a position it intends to fill by November. The board has previously received pushback for this timeline, given that as many as four trustees could be replaced in the November elections.

In Thursday’s meeting, trustees and community members alike urged further consideration toward slowing the timeline. Without Williams, who resigned despite maintaining she is a Nevada resident, District B will have no voting representative. Given the board’s voting history, in which Williams was frequently part of a 4-3 majority voting block, the board may face continued stalls from an inability to break 3-3 votes.

Kenny Belknap, the vice president of the Clark County Education Association teachers union, called the superintendent search the most important decision the board will make.

“If this process is to be trusted by the public, we must do the hard work now, and that starts with all of you doing the right thing,” Belknap said.

Calls for investigation

Williams’ resignation, he said, was the first step in building back the necessary trust between the community and the board. However, he said that it was only the first step and reiterated his call for a full investigation into what he alleged was President Evelyn Garcia Morales’ role in a “cover-up of Katie Williams’ residency,” he said, and all the votes Williams cast as part of the 4-3 decisions.

“We believe the cover-up of Katie Williams’ residency was part of a bigger inside game being played to see Brenda Larsen-Mitchell named permanent superintendent,” he said.

Garcia Morales did not address the Williams issue, nor the accusation of a cover-up. Efforts to reach her for comment Friday were unsuccessful.

Chris Giunchigliani, a former Clark County commissioner, urged the board to extend the timeline of its search.

“It’s time to slow down,” Giunchigliani said. “In the long run, this is about doing it right.”

Trustee Isaac Barron, the nonvoting trustee representing North Las Vegas, advocated for extending the timeline to make sure people in North Las Vegas, whom Williams represented, would be heard in the decision.

“We have an unusual situation right now,” Trustee Linda Cavazos said. “We want to make sure that our entire district is represented, not just six districts.”

Shawn Joseph, a representative from the firm hired to conduct the superintendent search, confirmed that it would be best practice to have all of the districts represented.

Meanwhile, Trustee Lola Brooks, one of the trustees who regularly voted alongside Williams, warned about deterring possible superintendent candidates if they slowed down the process. Joseph also affirmed this possibility, stating that many applicants had known the current timeline.

Possibility of 3-3 voting split

Trustee Ramona Esparza-Stoffregan warned of the potential for the board to be unable to appoint a new superintendent if the six remaining trustees voted in a 3-3 split.

The potential future of a 3-3 split played out in Thursday’s meeting, when the board was unable to fill the vacant seat on the auditory advising committee because of two 3-3 votes over the candidates.

Williams may have resigned, but she still weighed in on X, making fun of Giunchigliani, who had applied for the position.

“How’s that feel Chris G?” she posted, with three laughing emojis after. She replied to her post minutes later, writing: “And not a single governance policy to limit what I say anymore. #Freedom_From_Evil.”

Gasps and laughter erupted in the room as Giunchigliani read the post in real time during her public comment.

In addition to Giunchigliani, Thursday’s meeting closed with several community members expressing frustration over Williams’ residency and leveled accusations that Garcia Morales and other residents had covered it up.

Contact Katie Futterman at kfutterman@reviewjournal.com.