With the number of COVID-19 cases rising rapidly, many members of the Clark County School District community have implored Superintendent Jesus Jara and Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak to close down schools.

Multiple unions, including the National Education Association of Southern Nevada (NEASN) and the Clark County Association of School Administrators and Professional Technical Employees (CCASAPE), the union that represents administrators, principals, and deans, requested that schools be closed immediately. The NEASN’s letter can be found here.

The Clark County Education Association, the union that represents teachers, has yet to request school shutdowns and are meeting Sunday to discuss the matter. However, as the union waits, teachers have begun to take matters into their own hands.

One teacher has even organized “die-ins” where protesters provide a list of demands and then lie down in the street. One is scheduled Monday afternoon at Governor Steve Sisolak’s office, while the other is planned for Tuesday afternoon at the Superintendent’s office.

Meanwhile, a petition signed by over 65,000 people calls for CCSD to cancel in-person classes, citing the Nevada System of Higher Education’s decision to cancel in-person classes at UNR, UNLV, and CSN.

At Thursday’s board meeting, members of the Board of Trustees and the Superintendent shared concerns over closing schools, especially due to the reliance of some students on school for breakfast and lunch.

Superintendent Jara released a message regarding school closures, stating that “At this time, we are opening CCSD schools as normally scheduled this coming Monday, March 16. However, I have not ruled out a short-term closure and will continue working with the Board of School Trustees, and our state and local partners, especially our health experts, to evaluate next steps.”

The full content of this message, alongside helpful information on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19, can be found here.

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