CCSD trustees approve Tom Alsbury governance training; board authorizes up to $60,000

The Clark County School District Board of Trustees voted unanimously Jan. 9 to move forward with governance training from Dr. Tom Alsbury, a consultant whose "balanced governance" model draws on academic research, and authorized a budget not to exceed $60,000 for the initial training and selected follow‑up services.

President Irene Bustamante Adams opened discussion of a set of proposals the board had requested in December, after trustees asked staff to solicit options from the National School Boards Association (NSBA) and other consultants.

Board liaison Joe Caruso reviewed the materials submitted to the board, saying the district had received multiple proposals. He told trustees that Dr. Alsbury had submitted a 2‑day, 4–6 hour per day option quoted at $8,000 and a more comprehensive governance services package with multiple deliverables and higher total cost options.

Dr. Tom Alsbury, on the phone for part of the discussion, described his work as rooted in empirical studies of boards. “Balanced governance stands as really a unique amongst all governance training models because it is the, the one model that emanated from, research data,” he told trustees, summarizing the academic basis for his approach.

NSBA representative Valerie Carty also joined by phone and walked trustees through NSBA membership considerations and program options, noting that NSBA’s Council of Urban Boards of Education (CUBE) has been an urban districts program since 1967.

Legal counsel John Okezaki advised the board that an existing professional services agreement with the Council of Great City Schools (CGCS), which the board approved in September 2023, was not on the current agenda and could not be altered in this meeting; he said any discussion of amending or terminating that contract would need to be noticed as a separate agenda item.

Why it matters: Governance training and the board’s governance model shape how trustees and the superintendent share authority, how the board evaluates the superintendent and how policy is drafted. Trustees repeatedly tied the governance choice to the upcoming superintendent search and to the need for consistent board practice.

What the board approved

- By a 7–0 vote the board accepted Dr. Alsbury’s proposal for an initial two‑day training and authorized staff to negotiate selected follow‑up deliverables up to a total cap of $60,000 (the $60,000 cap includes the initial two‑day training). Trustees directed counsel and the board liaison to finalize contract language and return as needed for later approval of specific follow‑up services.

Context on other proposals and existing contracts

- NSBA provided a two‑day training option; NSBA and its CUBE program offer member discounts and additional multiyear service options. - The Board currently has a separate professional services agreement with the Council of Great City Schools (approved Sept. 6, 2023) for governance work; the district recorded an initial payment and related expenses of $64,233.50 under that agreement and the contract includes a fee cap of $150,000. Counsel said that agreement must be discussed separately on a future posted agenda if trustees wish to revisit its terms.

Trustee comments and next steps

Trustees emphasized the need to get all board members on the same page about governance, to ensure training applies to a county‑wide board and to use balanced governance to structure the superintendent selection process. Several trustees requested clearer breakdowns of services and phased options; Dr. Alsbury said he was willing to negotiate deliverables and phasing.

The board’s motion authorizes a budget request to cover the approved training and establishes a process for staff and counsel to finalize contract terms and bring any additional deliverables back to the board for approval.

Ending note

The motion to hire Dr. Alsbury and cap selected governance spending at $60,000 passed 7–0. Trustees and staff said they intend to schedule follow‑up work, including clarifying which deliverables the district will use and how governance training will inform the superintendent search and evaluation process.