Board hires Theodore Robinson III as region superintendent after debate over internal candidates and proficiency measures

The Clark County School District Board of Trustees voted 5-1 on July 10 to approve an employment agreement to hire Theodore Robinson III as a region superintendent.

Superintendent Ebert introduced Robinson as an experienced secondary education leader who most recently served as executive director of secondary education in the Thompson School District in Loveland, Colorado. Ebert said Robinson “increased graduation rates from 79.4 to 90 percent and increased concurrent enrollments from 4,000 to 9,000 annually” and described his experience with multimillion‑dollar budgets, student advisory committees and dual‑language immersion efforts.

Trustees debated the appointment. Trustee Biasotti said she was concerned the candidate’s gains in graduation rates did not correspond with proficiency improvements, citing district data that “27 percent of eighth graders are 3 grade levels behind in reading and 31 percent in math.” Supporters, including Dr. Jesse Welsh, who chaired the interview team, praised Robinson’s interview: “When Mr. Robinson came in for the interview, he frankly knocked our socks off,” Welsh said. Trustee Baron moved to accept the contract; Trustee Esparza seconded. The motion passed 5-1.

A member of the public, Lenny Lither, spoke during public comment and questioned whether Robinson’s experience in a district of about 15,000 students translated to Clark County’s much larger system; Lither also urged limits on contract clauses that permit unlimited pay raises without board review.

The board’s decision authorizes the district to execute Robinson’s employment contract; the vote and presentation did not specify individual contract terms beyond the superintendent’s recommendation.