CCSD to Discuss Teacher Shortage and School Start Times at Thursday Meeting

LAS VEGAS – The Clark County School District (CCSD) will hold a meeting on Thursday to discuss the ongoing teacher shortage and the possibility of changes to school start times.

The teacher shortage has been a major issue for CCSD in recent years. The district currently has more than 1,000 open teaching positions, and 6% of classrooms did not have a licensed teacher last school year.

CCSD has a five-year strategic plan to address the teacher shortage, and one of the key goals of the plan is to “enhance compensation” for teachers. The district is also considering other strategies to keep and recruit teachers, such as offering more professional development opportunities and providing more support for new teachers.

In addition to the teacher shortage, CCSD is also facing pressure to make changes to school start times. The Nevada State Board of Education requires all schools within the state that currently begin prior to 8 AM to provide alternative options to families and students because of potential negative impacts on student health, well-being, and academic performance. Start time options must be offered by the 2024-2025 school year.

CCSD is considering three options for adjusting school start times:

• Option A: Shift all school start and dismissal times by 60 minutes. This option would not have a financial cost.
• Option B: Invert high school and elementary school start and dismissal times. This option would require more buses and cost approximately $11 million.
• Option C: Consolidate the current three-tier bell schedule to two-tier. This option would also require more buses and cost approximately $100 million.

CCSD is also considering other solutions to cut costs by adjusting start times, such as having students within five miles of their school walk to campus and eliminating busing to magnet and Career Technical Academy schools.

The Thursday meeting will be held at 5 p.m. at CCSD’s Greer Education Center on Flamingo. The public is invited to attend.

Credits: Fox 5 Vegas