Superintendent Ebert's Year One Report: Absenteeism Down, Middle School Math Up, $15.8 Million in Gifts

by Ryan Rose

What Happened

The report came during the CCSD Board of School Trustees meeting on Thursday, Sept. 24. It was listed on the agenda as item 4.01, the 2025-2026 Superintendent Year One Performance Report. The district posted a recap of the meeting the next day. In it, CCSD said Ebert walked trustees through the steps she took in her first year to meet the goals and targets the board set for her.

The district pulled out four highlights from the report:

Chronic absenteeism fell at every level. It dropped 6.0 percentage points in elementary school, 5.4 points in middle school and 4.4 points in high school.
Middle school math went up. CCSD reported a 2.5 percent increase in middle school math proficiency.
Donors stepped up. The district landed $15.8 million in major philanthropic gifts, which CCSD called a sign of confidence in the district.
Parents feel more in the loop. Parent and guardian views of CCSD's openness and transparency rose by 10 percentage points.

The report also pointed to two big projects Ebert finished in year one. The first is the Destination District Strategic Plan, a five-year roadmap for the district. CCSD says more than 50,000 community members helped shape it. The second is an Educational and Operational Efficiency Study. That study estimates CCSD could save up to $34 million in the first year and up to $79 million a year within five years by running operations more efficiently. It is the first efficiency study the district has done since 2011.

After the presentation, trustees voted 6-0 to adopt the evaluation process for Ebert's first year. According to Opportunity 180's Nevada Ed-Watch summary of the meeting, the board will now begin a summative evaluation. Trustees will rate her on five key targets tied to the high-priority goals the board and superintendent set together in November 2025. The results will be presented at the regular board meeting on Nov. 12, 2026.

Those five targets were:

Developing professional learning standards for Pre-Kindergarten
Putting early literacy tutoring in place
Building professional practice standards for central office staff who support middle school math teaching
Developing standards for Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Advanced Placement (AP)
Finishing a revised district plan

Ed-Watch also noted that work on the district plan included $6.5 million in private contributions to carry out its strategies.

A long school hallway lined with blue lockers, the kind of hallway CCSD wants filled with students who show up every day

Why It Matters to Las Vegas Residents

Let's start with attendance, because it is the biggest number in the report. Nevada counts a student as chronically absent when they miss 10 percent or more of the school days they are enrolled. That is about 18 days in a normal school year. Kids who miss that much school fall behind fast, and it is hard for teachers to catch them up. A drop of 6 points in elementary school means a lot more young kids are in their seats more often.

This is not just a school issue. It touches daily life across Clark County. Kids who are in school are learning, eating a school meal and are supervised during the day. Parents can count on a routine. And over time, better attendance usually leads to better test scores, which is what most families look at first when they compare schools.

The math number matters too. Middle school is where many students either get comfortable with math or start to struggle. A 2.5 percent increase in proficiency is not a giant leap. But it is movement in the right direction, and middle school math was one of the specific targets trustees set for Ebert. That tells you the district is aiming at a known weak spot.

Renters have a stake in this too. Many families rent in the valley so they can live near a certain school before they are ready to buy. When a school's numbers improve, demand for rentals in its zone can go up as well. And for anyone who owns a rental home, the local school is often one of the first questions a family asks before signing a lease. Better attendance and rising math scores give owners and tenants one more thing to feel good about when they look at a neighborhood.

Then there is the money. The $15.8 million in gifts and the efficiency study both point to the same idea: finding more dollars for classrooms without raising taxes. If CCSD can really save up to $79 million a year down the road, that is money that could go to teachers, tutoring or buildings. Homeowners pay into the school system through property taxes, so how well the district spends its money is something every owner in the valley has a stake in.

It is also worth noticing that the drop was biggest in the youngest grades. Elementary school is where habits form. A child who learns to show up every day in second grade is more likely to keep showing up in seventh grade and tenth grade. So the 6.0-point drop in elementary absenteeism could pay off for years as those kids move up. The smaller 4.4-point drop in high school shows that older students are harder to reach, which is true in most districts.

Finally, the 10-point jump in how parents rate the district's openness is worth noting. When families trust what they hear from their school district, they are more likely to stay in their zoned school and stay in their neighborhood. Stable schools and stable neighborhoods tend to go together.

Background and History

CCSD is one of the largest school districts in the country, and it serves every corner of Clark County. That includes Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas, Boulder City, Mesquite, Laughlin and the rural towns. Running a district that size means small percentage changes can affect thousands of kids.

The Board of School Trustees is the group that oversees the superintendent and sets policy for the whole district. According to Opportunity 180, seven trustees are elected by district. Four more are appointed by the four largest local governments: Clark County, the City of Las Vegas, the City of Henderson and the City of North Las Vegas. Grading the superintendent is one of the most important jobs the board has.

The 2025-26 school year was Ebert's first year leading the district. In November 2025, she and the Board of School Trustees agreed on six high-priority goals. From those, the board picked five key targets to judge her first year. The Year One report is her account of how the district did on those targets. The Nov. 12 evaluation will be the trustees' answer.

The strategic plan is the backbone of all this. CCSD calls it the Destination District plan, and it runs from 2026 to 2031. It has three priorities: academic excellence, career-connected learning and durable skills, and safe and supportive schools. The goals are big. By 2031, the plan aims for a 60 percent increase in literacy proficiency in grades K-3, a 50 percent increase in math and literacy proficiency in grades 3-8, and 95 percent of students saying they feel safe at school.

A wooden protractor resting on a chalkboard covered in math notes, a nod to CCSD's focus on middle school math proficiency

The efficiency study is the other big piece. The last time CCSD ran a study like this was 2011. A lot has changed since then, including how the district buys supplies, runs buses and staffs its central office. The new study is the district's attempt to find savings that do not come out of the classroom.

All of this is happening during a tough stretch for school funding. The same week as this report, CCSD was bracing for a $51.6 million funding cut tied to lower enrollment, until a state emergency order let districts be funded on earlier enrollment projections. We covered that in our story on CCSD's emergency funding order and the no-layoffs promise. Money that is found through efficiency and gifts matters even more when enrollment is falling.

What Happens Next

The most important date is Nov. 12, 2026. That is when trustees will present the results of their summative evaluation of Ebert's first year. Each trustee will rate her on the five key targets. The board will also recommend specific areas where she should grow. This is the formal report card, and it will set the tone for her second year.

It helps to know what trustees will be looking at. The five targets are mostly about building systems, not just hitting a test score. For example, the early literacy target covered training for teachers, after-school tutoring for students and one-on-one help for schools during 2025-26. For 2026-27, the plan is to give more students access to literacy specialists and reading programs. The middle school math target focused on training, new math materials and better support for principals who oversee math programs. Next, the district plans to roll out common semester tests in middle school math.

The CTE and AP target is about making sure career classes and college-level classes are taught to a steady standard across all high schools. That included building teacher teams, called Professional Learning Communities, and writing pacing guides for career courses. In the coming year, the work adds more focus on using data, more student-led learning, and industry externships so teachers can see the jobs they are preparing students for.

A row of brightly colored school lockers, a reminder that CCSD's year-two work continues in classrooms across Clark County

Before that, there is a regular board meeting on Thursday, Oct. 8, at 5 p.m. Trustees usually meet on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month. Meetings are held at the Edward A. Greer Education Center, 2832 E. Flamingo Road, and you can also watch online.

There are other things to watch in the coming months:

The efficiency study. The study lists possible savings. The next question is which of those ideas the district actually adopts, and when. Watch for board items that put specific savings into action.
The facility master plan. CCSD says it is working to finish its Building Brighter Futures Facility Master Plan with community input. That plan will shape which schools get rebuilt, repaired or added.
Year-two targets. The work on Pre-K standards, early literacy, middle school math, and CTE and AP standards continues into 2026-27. Future reports will show whether this year's gains hold.
Next year's attendance numbers. One good year is a start. Two or three years in a row is a trend.

Ryan's Take

I get asked about schools almost every week. Buyers moving here from out of state want to know what the schools look like before they pick a neighborhood. Sellers want to know if their zoned school helps or hurts their home's appeal. Reports like this one are part of that bigger picture.

Here is how I see it. One good year does not change home values overnight. But steady progress on attendance and math makes the whole valley an easier sell to families. When families feel good about the local schools, they stay longer, they fix up their homes, and they put down roots. That is healthy for every neighborhood, whether you have kids or not.

I also like that the district is chasing savings and outside gifts instead of just asking for more. Homeowners fund schools through property taxes. A district that can show it spends that money well is a district people trust. I will be watching the Nov. 12 evaluation closely, and I will share what it means for buyers and sellers here.

One more thing. I do not rank schools for clients, and you should be careful with anyone who does. What I can do is show you where to find the official data and zoning maps so you can make your own call.

A full moon rising over a quiet desert town at dusk, like the Henderson and Las Vegas neighborhoods where school trends shape home decisions

What You Can Do

If you want to follow this story or have a say, here are some easy steps:

Read the strategic plan. CCSD posts its full Destination District Strategic Plan online in English and Spanish. It lays out every goal the district is chasing through 2031.
Look up your zoned schools. Use the CCSD zoning page to find which schools serve your address. This is a must if you are buying, selling or renting.
Speak up before Nov. 12. You can send public comment to trustees by email at Boardmtgcomments@nv.ccsd.net. You can also leave a voice message about agenda items by calling 702-799-1166. Voice comments are limited to 1 minute and 30 seconds.
Watch a meeting. The next regular meeting is Thursday, Oct. 8, at 5 p.m. You can go in person at the Greer Education Center or stream it online.
Help your own student show up. The simplest way to push absenteeism down further is at home. Talk with your kids about why every school day counts, and reach out to your school early if something is keeping them home.

If you are thinking about a move and schools are part of the decision, start with the data. Look at attendance, test scores and zoning for the specific address, not just the zip code. School zones can change from one street to the next.

Have questions about how this affects your home or neighborhood? Reach out to Ryan Rose or text/call 702-747-5921 anytime.