Education commissioner Jones to leave for Las Vegas job

Colorado will soon be seeking a new state education commissioner.

The current occupant of that post, Dwight Jones, has accepted a job as superintendent of the Clark County School District in Nevada.

Jones, 48, has been commissioner of public education since 2007.

"I look forward with enthusiasm to working with the educators, school staff and community in Clark County, and I will make the transition to Nevada as soon as I can ensure a smooth exit from Colorado," Jones said in a statement. "I am keenly excited about the work and challenges ahead."

Before taking his current post Jones was superintendent of the Fountain-Fort Carson School District in El Paso County.

He has been complemented for improving relationships between the Colorado Department of Education, local school districts, and the state's largest teacher organization.

Jones has also been a central player in implementing the Colorado Achievement Plan for Kids and the new teacher tenure law adopted by the General Assembly last spring.

Jones' salary will go up from about $223,000 to about $270,000 when he takes the job overseeing the nation's fifth-largest school district.

The state Board of Education will choose a replacement. However, two members of that board face re-election bids in November and therefore the board may put off a decision on a permanent replacement until the results are known.