Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Jim Rogers says schools superintendent a ‘lame duck’

Walt Rulffes

Steve Marcus

Clark County Schools Superintendent Walt Rulffes, shown here at a March meeting where he announced his retirement, has offered to stay on the job up to another five months while a successor is identified.

Jim Rogers

Jim Rogers

Walt Rulffes to retire (3-25-2010)

Clark County Schools Superintendent Walt Rulffes announces his retirement during Thursday's board meeting. Rulffes said he will retire in August when his contract expires. Launch slideshow »

When Clark County Schools Superintendent Walt Rulffes announced in March that he planned to retire, an ominous clock started ticking:

Would his replacement be in office by February, when he or she must deal with harried state lawmakers in their legislative session?

The Legislature’s priority will be to reduce a multibillion-dollar budget deficit and perhaps cut even deeper into public schools.

And how would Jim Rogers, past chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education with a reputation for abrasiveness, react to the School Board’s search for a successor? He recently offered to serve as interim superintendent for free.

At any rate, Rulffes wanted to give the School District plenty of time to find a successor.

That was five months ago, and a successor is unlikely to be named until late fall. Rulffes had wanted to be gone by Aug. 13.

So on Friday, Rulffes, 69 and superintendent for the past five years, proposed staying on the job at least until Jan. 4.

He also proposed taking a pay cut in the meantime, with a provision for a 30-day termination clause in case a successor is found before January.

The School Board will take up the proposal Wednesday. The public can comment at the meeting.

Rulffes also gave board members a choice: Hire someone else as interim superintendent.

Rogers, 71, last month offered to do the superintendent’s job for free until July 2013.

Reached at his vacation home in Pocatello, Idaho, Rogers said, “Walt initially should have agreed to stay until next June 1,” after the legislative session. “Now he is ineffective at this point as a lame duck.”

Rogers said he filed a formal application with the board’s executive search committee Monday to become the permanent superintendent.

But his offer to serve for free still stands. Rogers said he is doing so as a public-spirited citizen.

“I grew up in Vegas,” he said. “I’m not looking for a career. I’m not looking for a job. I just want to help. I’ll be there as long as they want me.

“I would agree to be the interim superintendent, would agree to stay up to three years, but you don’t have to keep me three years. Give me 10 days and I’m gone. It’s a no-lose proposition.”

What’s the likelihood the board would agree? “I don’t know,” he said, “they have a thought process that I don’t understand.”

Asked if the Rulffes plan is an indirect way of avoiding naming him interim superintendent, he replied, “it could certainly have that effect. Walt would become the interim superintendent, in effect, even though he isn’t.”

So far, there are no candidates to consider because the deadline for submitting applications to the search firm, McPherson & Jacobson in Omaha, Neb., is Sept. 1. A list of candidates is due in mid-September. The board’s goal is to name a successor by Oct. 15, said Terri Janison, board president.

One complicating factor: Janison has a potential conflict of interest.

Her husband, Kevin Janison, is a weatherman at KSNV Channel 3.

Rogers is “my husband’s boss,” she said.

Rogers owns KSNV, as well as television stations in California, Arizona, Montana, Wyoming and Idaho.

Janison is likely to recuse herself from board discussions where she sees a conflict. She declined to discuss Rogers or the possibility of picking an interim superintendent instead of extending Rulffes’ contract.

Asked which alternative the board is more likely to choose, Janison said, “I don’t know what the (others) are thinking. So right now, it’s 50/50.”

In documents released on the district website, Rulffes proposes taking a 10 percent cut in his $276,000 salary. This would be on top of his 10 percent voluntary cut, for a total of 20 percent, from his base pay last year of $307,000.

The reduced salary would be about $245,000.

Reached at home for comment, Rulffes said, “It’s a voluntary cut since we’re asking employees to make personal sacrifices. It won’t make a big impact on my standard of living. But I want to say upfront that I’ve been paid well. But times are bad and I should cut back.”

Asked whether it was more or less likely that the board might appoint Rogers as interim superintendent, he replied, “That’s strictly a board matter.”

However, for anyone taking over as superintendent, he said, it would be a challenging transition. “There would be an interruption in flow,” he said.

Crucial contracts are expiring, including those of teachers, administrators and school police, and important federal grants will have to be reviewed or applied for.

“There is a lot to consider,” Rulffes said.

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