CCSD board advances three superintendent finalists after two days of presentations

The Clark County School District Board of Trustees on Thursday voted to advance three candidates — Joan Ebert, Ben Schuldiner and the candidate listed as “Welsh” in the board packet — to community forums and a second round of interviews after two days of presentations and trustee questions.

Trustees voted on a slate of procedural items that set the next phase of the search: the board approved the set of springboard interview questions (7–0), a revised timeline and public format for community forums (7–0), and a one‑hour, one‑on‑one balanced‑governance training session for each finalist at $500 per candidate (7–0). The board also voted on moving each candidate forward individually; the motion to advance candidate John Anzalone failed (1–6), while motions to advance the three other finalists passed (Welsh 7–0; Schuldiner 6–1; Ebert 7–0).

Why it matters: CCSD is one of the largest school districts in the nation and trustees said they are looking for a leader who can manage a complex budget, improve academic outcomes and restore trust with staff and the public. The board’s votes set community input events for March 10 and a second round of interviews March 11, and authorized modest training to ensure finalists understand the district’s balanced‑governance approach.

Candidate presentations and trustee concerns

Ben Schuldiner framed his presentation as a SWOT analysis, saying “The strengths of the Clark County School District are its people,” and pointing repeatedly to budgets, teacher…