Dr. Jesus F. Jara has served as Superintendent of the Clark County School District (CCSD) since 2018. Dr. Jara has been serving public school students for over 25 years and previously served as the Deputy Superintendent for the Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) in Orlando, Florida for 6 years . As Superintendent, Dr. Jara has accelerated work at CCSD by proactively addressing equitable education opportunities by increasing Advanced Placement (AP) participation, and the expansion of Magnet programs with a focus on student achievement. After a period of academic and operational review and extensive engagement with internal and external stakeholders, Dr. Jara worked with the Board of School Trustees on The Focus: 2024 Strategic Plan with specific goals to accelerate student success.
Recognizing the need for a strong, diverse pool of leadership professionals, Dr. Jara created the Leadership and Professional Learning Division (LPLD). The LPLD drives professional growth opportunities for individuals looking to lead at the school or department level. In addition, one of the most impactful actions Dr. Jara has taken is the strategic use of Federal ESSER funds to facilitate the rollout of the critical components of high-quality, Tier 1 instruction including the purchase of materials for all content areas and the implementation of the MTSS framework.
As superintendent of the fifth-largest school district in the nation, Dr. Jara manages a 2.4 billion dollar operating budget and a 3.5 billion dollar bond construction budget. Since 2018, when Dr. Jara took the helm, CCSD’s ending fund balance has increased from 1.78% to a projected 4.25% unrestricted fund balance for FY24. In addition, the Department of Taxation removed Clark County School District from Fiscal Watch in 2020 due to disciplined financial decision-making and financial planning.
Dr. Jara is an active member of the community, which includes serving on the board of the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance, The Public Education Foundation, Workforce Connections – Southern Nevada’s Local Workforce Development Board, and the Nevada Department of Health & Human Services Division of Child and Family Services Children’s Commission. The Southern Nevada community is filled with many opportunities to serve and meet the needs of students and families, and Dr. Jara is proud to call Las Vegas home.
Past AASA Nevada Superintendent of the Year Winners:
2023 Nevada Superintendent of the Year: Dr. Summer Stephens
2022 Nevada Superintendent of the Year: Russell Fecht
2021 Nevada Superintendent of the Year: Wayne Workman
About the Award:
The Superintendent of the Year program, sponsored by First Student and AASA, pays tribute to the talent and vision of the men and women who lead the nation’s public schools.
State-level winners are selected on the following criteria:
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- Leadership for Learning
- Communication
- Professionalism
- Community Involvement