Ccsd superintendent pat skorkowsky goatee center

LAS VEGAS (KSNV News3LV) — After five years on the job, Clark County School District Superintendent Pat Skorkowsky is retiring.

One of the reasons for the surprise announcement: the most recent figure -- a $ million shortfall.

Skorkowsky says a tight budget is thenew reality for the school district, no matter who is superintendent.

By announcing his retirement he says he'll be going after critics who bash the district, without offering solutions.

RELATED LINK |NEW: CCSD Superintendent Skorkowsky announces retirement

"This decision is mine and mine alone," said Skorkowsky.

Skorkowsky says stepping down as CCSD superintendent after five years on the job and 30 years as an educator is the most difficult decision of his life.

But, he says, by making this announcement now, it will give the Board of Trustees time to do a national search for his replacement.

"Frankly, this community will need to rally together to attract the best candidate for superintendent.

Ccsd superintendent pat skorkowsky goatee They include Pat Skorkowsky, former CCSD superintendent; Karen Johnson, former director of transportation compliance and safety; Christopher Jackson, former transportation operations manager; and.

Clark County pays its superintendent much less than other districts our size and we are dealing with chronic underfunding of education," said Skorkowsky.

However, a local education leader says he should resign immediately.

“We cannot continue to suffer under the lack of leadership that Pat Skorkowsky has demonstrated in this crisis,” says Stephen Augspurger, executive director of the Clark County Association of School Administrators.“Pat Skorkowsky needs to resign, or the trustees need to revoke his contract or reassign him someplace—no longer as the superintendent.

There needs to be an interim superintendent selected immediately,”

Skorkowsky admits mistakes have been made in how the district handled the current budget deficit. A shortfall of up to $60 million could mean layoffs and the elimination of student programs.

"My staff and I should have seen several months earlier that we were headed for a budget crisis unless we received more funding from the Legislature.

I take ownership for that, I apologize for that," said Skorkowsky.

Still, he says, the fault isn't entirely his, calling afunding plan for education in Nevada 'outdated' and the collective bargaining system 'broken.'

He's also calling for a forensic audit of the teachers' health trust, where, he says, millions of dollars are unaccounted for.

"They need to come forward and let us see what they're going through before we can ever think about giving them more money," said Skorkowsky.

Skorkowsky says there has been success in the district under his leadership.

In , the graduation rate was percent.

Ccsd superintendent pat skorkowsky goatee search Superintendent Pat Skorkowsky, at the center of a swirling controversy over the Clark County School District’s growing budget deficit, announced Thursday that he will step down when his.

This year, bumping up to an estimated percent.

He's also helped open 12 magnet schools and seen double digit growth in students taking advanced placement exams.

He also says he will not be a lame duck for the next ten months of his contract.

"And I will not be quiet, I will not be on the sidelines. I will be dealing directly with internal and external barriers that prevent even greater successes," said Skorkowsky.

Skorkowsky appears to have support from a majority of the seven-member Board of Trustees.

Trustees Deanna Wright, Linda Young, Carolyn Edwards, Lola Brooks and Linda Cavazos were by his side during this morning’s retirement announcement.

Trustees Kevin Child and Chris Garvey have previously disagreed with Skorkowsky on budget matters and were not present.

“What he’s going to be remembered for—his legacy will be his mismanagement of this huge, behemouth budget,” declared Augspurger, who represents 1, administrative staff within the Clark County School District.

While Skorkowsky doesn't plan to leave until June, the teacher's union, CCEA, is asking him to go now, detailed in a written statement telling News 3 the community is ready for new leadership.