CCSD Transportation Instructor Theresa Ortega Wins Nevada's RISE Award

by Ryan Rose

What Happened

RISE stands for Recognizing Inspiring School Employees. On Nov. 4, the Nevada Department of Education said two classified school employees had won the state's version of the award. "Classified" is the school world's word for staff who do not need a teaching license to do their jobs. The two winners are Ortega, from CCSD, and Melanie Subia, a paraprofessional at Bud Beasley Elementary School in the Washoe County School District.

The state's release gives a short picture of Ortega's career. She joined CCSD in 2012 as a bus driver and moved up to transportation instructor in 2024. In that job she plays a key part in bringing new drivers on board and keeping them. She also represents the district at back-to-school nights, safety demonstrations and community events. So if you have been to one of those nights and talked with someone from the bus department, there is a chance you have met her.

Her nominator said she sets high standards for herself and pushes others to do the same. Administrators and coworkers praised her "calm, solution-oriented approach and her ability to connect with both staff and families." The nominator also pointed to the sign language story as a clear example of how she includes every student. Nobody is reported to have required it. She saw a group of kids she could not talk with, and she fixed that herself.

In her own application, Ortega said her work has helped lead to stronger driver onboarding and retention, smoother systems and better relationships with families. Gov. Joe Lombardo and Dr. Victor Wakefield, the state Superintendent of Public Instruction, both praised the two winners in the release and said they are proud to have them represent Nevada on the national stage.

Clark County had a second name on the short list. Rose Hanks, a clerk at Escobedo Middle School, was one of three finalists. The other two were Andrea Kelly, a program coordinator for adult, corrections, distance and alternative education in the Humboldt County School District, and Lorena Morgan, an individual student aide at Doral Academy of Northern Nevada, a state charter school.

The Governor's Office picked the two winners from a pool of five finalists. The Nevada Department of Education ran the nomination process, and the selection was anonymous, with identifying details removed. That means the people choosing did not know whose name went with which story. The work had to speak for itself.

Young woman using American Sign Language to communicate, a skill Theresa Ortega learned for her students

Why It Matters to Las Vegas Residents

Think about the size of the job Ortega is part of. FOX5 reported in September that CCSD runs about 1,900 buses. That is the largest district-owned and operated fleet in the country, according to that report. The district had more than 120,000 eligible riders in the 2025-26 school year. Those are big numbers, but each one comes down to one child at one stop on one street.

If your kids ride the bus, you already know how much of your day hangs on it. A bus that shows up means you make it to work on time. A bus that does not show up can throw off the whole morning. Keeping experienced drivers on the road, and helping new ones stick around, is what makes that daily routine work. That is the part of the job Ortega's award calls out.

Driver retention is not a small thing here. Back in December 2022, the trade publication School Transportation News reported that CCSD was short about 80 drivers, and had been short about 250 the school year before. Those numbers are nearly four years old. We could not find a current official count of open driver jobs, so we are not going to guess at one. But they show why the person who helps a new driver get through the tough first stretch has real value to families.

The sign language story matters too. Kids who are deaf or hard of hearing ride the same buses and start the same school days as everyone else. A driver who can greet them, answer them and calm them down in their own language changes what that ride feels like. It is a small act that nobody would have noticed if a coworker had not written it down.

There is also a money side to the bus system that touches every taxpayer in Clark County. FOX5 reported that CCSD spent $15.1 million on fuel in 2025-26, up $2.4 million, or 19 percent, from the year before. The district expects higher fuel prices to add about $2.9 million in costs this school year, and it said it is working to cover that through its Central Office budget. When a system costs this much to run, the people who keep it steady are worth paying attention to.

Background and History

The RISE Award comes from a federal law. Congress passed the Recognizing Achievement in Classified School Employees Act, and it became law on April 12, 2019. The U.S. Department of Education oversees the program. The law covers workers from preschool through high school in nine types of jobs: paraprofessional, clerical and administrative, transportation, food and nutrition, custodial and maintenance, security, health and student services, technical, and skilled trades.

The law says governors can send in nominations, and that those nominations can come from school districts, administrators, labor groups, nonprofits, parents and students. Nominees are judged on five things: work performance, school and community involvement, leadership and commitment, local support, and how they lift up the image of classified employees. The law also says plainly that the award has no cash value. Nobody is doing this for a check.

Nevada has been part of this for years, and Clark County employees show up often. In the February 2025 announcement, CCSD's Vyron Wallace, a campus security monitor at Foothill High School, was one of two Nevada nominees, and Carrie Luna, a school health assistant at C.C. Ronnow Elementary School, was a finalist. In the November 2025 round, Wakesha Clemons, who works in security services at Fertitta Middle School, was a finalist.

Nevada has also won the big one. In April 2023, the state announced that Carlene Pacheco, a paraprofessional and Title VI liaison at Churchill County High School, had been named the national RISE winner. So a Nevada school employee getting that call is not a far-fetched idea. It has already happened.

Support staff have been in the CCSD news for other reasons lately, too. Opportunity 180's Nevada Ed-Watch reported that CCSD trustees voted 7-0 on Oct. 29 to change discipline rules for support staff, including 48 hours' written notice before an investigatory interview. That vote was about process. This award is about people. Both are reminders of how large this part of the district's workforce really is.

Close view of a yellow county schools bus in evening light

What Happens Next

Ortega and Subia now apply to the U.S. Department of Education for the national award. The state says that decision will come in spring 2027. Under the federal law, the Secretary of Education picks one classified employee for the award each year, before May 31. So the odds are long, because she will be up against nominees from around the country. Being one of Nevada's two names is already a big deal.

While that plays out, Ortega's day job goes on. Training a new bus driver at CCSD is serious work. School Transportation News reported in 2022 that the district's training lasted 14 to 18 days, included the commercial driver's license road exam and was paid for by CCSD. The district also had its own DMV-certified test course at the Mathew B. Wallace Transportation Center. Those details are from 2022 and may have changed, so check with the district if you want the current process.

There are a few things we could not find, and we want to be clear about them. The state's release does not say how many drivers Ortega has trained, which schools she drove for or whether CCSD has a formal plan to honor her. Those details are NOT FOUND in the public record we reviewed. If the district shares more, it will likely come through CCSD's own news channels.

Also watch for the next round of Nevada nominations. The last two rounds of Nevada winners were both named in November. We did not find a posted date for when the next nomination window opens, so keep an eye on the Nevada Department of Education's website.

Ryan's Take

I talk with families all the time about schools, and the conversation almost always goes to test scores and star ratings. Those have their place. But they do not tell you who is going to be standing at the bus door at 6:45 in the morning, or whether that person will learn your kid's name. A story like Theresa Ortega's is a good reminder that a school is more than the numbers on a report card. It is a whole team of people, and a lot of them never get an award.

Now for the real estate side, and I will be honest. One staff award does not move home prices, and I have no data that says it would. Ortega works across a district, not for one neighborhood. What I will say is that if a bus route matters to your family, treat it like any other must-have on your home search. Bus service, stop locations and school zones can change from year to year. I would rather you check that before you write an offer than find out on the first day of school. And if you work for a school district yourself, some home loan and down payment programs are open to school employees. Funding and rules change, so ask what is open right now before you count on one.

Yellow school bus parked outdoors at sunset, ready for the next school day

What You Can Do

Start simple. If your child rides the bus, say thank you to the driver this week. Have your child say it too. A note or a card from a family goes a long way in a job where people mostly hear about it when something goes wrong. The same goes for the clerk in the front office, the custodian, the campus monitor and the aide who helps in your child's classroom. They all qualify for this award, and most of them will never hear that anyone noticed.

If someone at your school deserves this kind of recognition, remember them for the next round. Under the federal law, nominations can come from parents and students as well as from school staff and community groups. Write down the specific things you have seen that person do. As the Ortega nomination shows, one clear story can carry a lot of weight.

If you are buying a home or moving within the valley, check bus service for the actual address before you commit. CCSD's Family Support Center says bus service is available for students who live two or more miles from their school, and it offers an eligibility tool where you can enter a home address. The CCSD Onboard app gives real-time stop details and arrival alerts once your child is set up to ride.

And if you are looking for steady work, CCSD has long hired and trained new bus drivers. Check the district's current job postings for pay and openings, since the figures we found are several years old. In the meantime, the easiest way to help is free. Slow down near bus stops, and stop for a school bus when its red lights are flashing.