The Clark County School Board on Thursday approved Superintendent Jesus Jara’s new resignation terms, which include a one-time lump sum payment of $250,000, half the amount he had initially asked for when he announced his intention to leave his post after more than five years as the leader of the state’s largest school district.
Jara’s last day is Friday, Feb. 23. Jara was not present at the meeting.
Board President Evelyn Garcia Morales, Vice President Irene Bustamante Adams, Clerk Lisa Guzman and Trustees Lola Brooks and Katie Williams voted in favor of the motion to accept Jara’s latest resignation terms. Trustees Linda Cavazos and Brenda Zamora voted against the motion.
Thursday’s vote came about two weeks after the school board narrowly voted down Jara’s initial resignation terms, which included a $500,000 lump sum payout, amid a public outcry and accusations that the payment amounted to a golden parachute for the embattled superintendent, who was hired in 2018.
The school board instead voted to terminate Jara for convenience, meaning trustees won’t need to cite particular reasons for the action, and directed its attorney, Nicole Malich, to negotiate the terms for Jara’s termination.
Under the terms of his contract, if Jara was terminated for convenience, he would’ve received his full salary and benefits through the end of his contract in June 2026, which could amount to about $1 million.
Malich said Jara presented a counteroffer, a conditional resignation as well as a lump sum of $250,000. Malich said she couldn’t reveal more details about what took place during the negotiation discussion.
Some community members who spoke in public comment urged the board to reject any pay amount for Jara, calling it a golden parachute.
Jara previously served as a deputy superintendent at a Florida school district.
He announced his intention to resign in late January. During their Feb. 7, Garcia Morales, the board president, stated she and other board members became concerned late last year about the “ongoing vitriol and disrespect” Jara faced from some community members. She said she spoke with Jara earlier this year and asked him to consider a mutual agreement that would allow him to step aside and allow the district to focus on moving forward.
Jara’s tenure as superintendent has been tumultuous — most recently via the monthslong battle between the school district and the Clark County Education Association over a new contract for teachers.
During the 2023 legislative session, he was berated by lawmakers over the school district’s low proficiency rates, and later faced calls to resign from the teachers union as well as top Democratic lawmakers, including Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager (D-Las Vegas) and Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro (D-Las Vegas).
In 2021, Jara was fired in a split vote by the Clark County School Board, only to be rehired by the board a few weeks later.
Jara also oversaw the closure of Clark County schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, and didn’t completely reopen schools for in-person learning until the 2021-22 school year.
