CCSD trustee misses 14 in-person school board meetings

Joshua Peguero
·2 min read
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LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – The Clark County School District is facing several challenges, the top one is hiring a new superintendent. Over the last year, 8 News Now has tracked how many trustees are regularly attending meetings.

One trustee in particular, Katie Williams, has failed to attend in person at least 14 times. There are meetings when she’s left early or arrived late.

CCSD trustees vote to accept Jara’s resignation, $250K buyout

Responding to an 8 News Now inquiry on the absences, Williams says she has no plans to run for re-election.

Williams was first elected as a trustee in 2020.

“I think that those parents just need a release, they need a break, and what I’m trying to do is get the schools open for that reason,” Williams said shortly after being sworn in in January of 2021.

Williams represents District B, which covers schools in the far northwest valley and rural areas of Clark County.

High schools in her district include Arbor View, Centennial, Indian Springs, and Moapa Valley.

Since January of 2023, Williams has not attended in-person at these meetings:

  • February 23, 2023

  • March 1, 2023

  • April 27, 2023

  • May 11, 2023

  • June 22, 2023

  • August 4, 2023

  • September 6, 2023

  • September 14, 2023

  • October 12, 2023

  • December 14, 2023

  • January 3, 2024

  • February 7, 2024

  • February 8, 2024

  • February 22, 2024

Williams has either called in or not gone, leaving an empty chair.

She missed being in person for all of the February meetings where the district discussed separating from former superintendent Dr. Jesus Jara.

“I just think that we should all be really cognizant that this is not typically just an urban school district,” Williams said at a Feb. 22nd meeting. “We have many rural communities that tend to get left out of tend to get left out of the conversation. When we are looking for new talent, so I just want to keep that in everyone else’s mind.”

At the March 6th work session, when the board debated whether to do a local or national search for a new superintendent, Trustee Williams left after giving her comments.

“We don’t need chaos in our district when we really just need stability constantly,” Williams said.

She exited about an hour and a half into the meeting and then called in.

Williams declined an on-camera interview, but told 8 News Now she’s a single mother to a young child and has been on military deployments.

CCSD declined to respond to multiple attempts for comment.

Clark County Education Association President Marie Neisess sent a statement to 8 News Now in regards to Williams’ absences:

“Simply put, she can’t do her job if she’s not present. The perception suggests she doesn’t take her job seriously. This long string of absences is a clear indication of how much time she’s willing to spend supporting the district. CCSD needs leadership that’s willing to go the extra mile for our educators and students.”

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