Clark County School Board retains highly paid consultant

Last week’s raised voices over the contract renewal of high-paid consultant Ken Turner weren’t an issue Thursday when the Clark County School Board quickly approved the rehiring without debate, bringing Turner’s total earnings to $750,000 over three years.

Chris Garvey, one of two board members who questioned the contract when asked by Superintendent Dwight Jones to retain his personal consultant without providing the agreement terms, was the only one who commented.

She said Jones assured her that Turner — Jones’ right-hand man in his previous job in Colorado — would not become a permanent fixture. That was the main concern of Garvey and board member Linda Young last week when they questioned rehiring Turner for a third year, seeing that a consultant is supposed to provide a one-time service, train staff and leave.

At the time, Jones became visibly defensive and said he “needs” Turner to do a job no one else in the district has the skills or ability to do. Turner is paid from private funds, not the district’s budget.

“Being private money doesn’t mean we shouldn’t ask questions,” Garvey said Thursday.

Jones still didn’t say Thursday when Turner no longer would be rehired at an annual cost of $250,000, and Turner — who is usually present throughout board meetings — didn’t show up until after his contract was approved.

Jones said in a statement that Turner is working on complex reform projects and that “it is difficult to determine when they will be complete.” He argued there is still work to be done with the school accountability systems Turner has been charged with creating.

Or re-creating. Those are the growth model and school star-rating system, which he and Jones built while in Colorado and then replicated here.

Before becoming superintendent in 2010, Jones was Colorado’s education commissioner, and Turner was his deputy commissioner of three years.

Jones’ written response Thursday also addressed an annual $50,000 relocation fee paid three times to Turner.

At first, it was to fund Turner’s move to Las Vegas but has been renewed to cover his health care, taxes, housing and travel costs. Consultants also usually have many clients and contracts. At this time, the district is Turner’s only employer.

However, Jones didn’t succeed in convincing Young, who was the only one who opposed Turner’s contract extension in the 6-1 vote.

She didn’t comment about the contract during the meeting but said afterward that she appreciates Turner’s talents and sees the purpose of consultants.

“Consultants are great, but we also have great people here,” she said. “We put too much on one person.”

Contact reporter Trevon Milliard at tmilliard@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0279.