EDITORIAL: CCSD Board in the dark as Jara hands out millions more

Integrity is what you do when no one’s looking. What former Superintendent Jesus Jara did surreptitiously as he left the district didn’t show much of it. Just as concerning is the cluelessness of district trustees.

Mr. Jara, the former head of the Clark County School District, left in February. Although he faced political pressure, he had a high-paying contract. He agreed to quit. The board gave him a $250,000 going-away present.

That didn’t stop Mr. Jara from salting the financial earth as he walked out the door. As the Review-Journal’s Mary Hynes recently uncovered, Mr. Jara gave top administrators new contracts with a lucrative benefit as he was leaving. They may now cash out unused sick and vacation leave for much more money. Previously, the maximum payout for unused sick leave was $2,500, where now it’s upward of $70,000 for the highest-paid.

A search of Transparent Nevada shows this perk can provide government retirees with a six-figure exit bonus. That’s on top of their gold-plated pension benefits. This is virtually unheard of in the private sector, where vacation and sick days are often use it or lose it. Even if there is some carryover, the amount is generally limited.

Now, top district employees can rake in the cash, too. More than 30 district administrators are now eligible for payouts of at least $50,000 in unused sick leave. Topping the list is interim Superintendent Brenda Larsen-Mitchell. She’s now eligible to collect more than $130,000.

This wasn’t the first instance of Mr. Jara appearing to spend taxpayer money in an effort to settle grudges. In January, he gave significant raises to his Cabinet. That included a 40 percent pay increase for district Police Chief Henry Blackeye. His base pay increased to $235,000, more than the Henderson police chief makes for overseeing a much larger department.

In theory, the School Board is supposed to supervise the superintendent. In the district’s hands-off governance model, that’s one of its most important responsibilities. Yet, some board members didn’t learn about the change until contacted by the Review-Journal.

“It’s disheartening to me that we are not properly informed and educated on what’s being proposed — in this case, the cash out of benefits,” Trustee Linda Cavazos said.

When Mr. Jara handed out the pay raises, board members also expressed surprise at the news. Others didn’t respond to requests for comment. That suggests they didn’t have the courage to admit their ignorance or weren’t opposed to the underhanded move. Neither is a great option.

The school district has lots of problems. Don’t expect them to be solved by board members who make Inspector Clouseau look like Sherlock Holmes.