CCSD responds to safety concerns after student’s death: ‘Slow down’

Just short of a week after an Arbor View High School senior was struck and killed in a crosswalk outside of the school by a suspected impaired driver, education and law enforcement officials held a news conference Thursday to focus on safety as the summer break approaches.

“If we slow down, all of us will be safe. Our children will be safe, our teachers, our community as a whole, everyone. We can relax while we’re on the road and pay attention to what’s going on,” Clark County School District Superintendent Jhone Ebert said Thursday.

Just after 11 a.m. May 2, McKenzie Scott, 18, was crossing North Buffalo Drive while in a marked crosswalk when she was struck by a car driven by 37-year-old Keenan Jackson, the Metropolitan Police Department said.

Scott was only weeks away from graduation.

An arrest report said Jackson struggled to stand upright during questioning. The report also noted he was speeding and that his blood alcohol level was nearly four times the legal limit. The report said Jackson had bloodshot eyes, a blank stare and slurred speech. He was arrested and booked on suspicion of one count of DUI resulting in death, reckless driving and driving without a valid license.

Supporting Arbor View students

“Our primary focus right now is to support the students and staff of our high school,” said school district police Chief Henry Blackeye, noting many people can relate to the feeling of losing a classmate. “So that support is paramount so they can have a successful graduation and entry into adulthood.”

CCSD Region I Superintendent Lindsay Tomlinson said the moment the school district heard the news of Scott’s death, social workers and the crisis team went straight to the school.

“They have been there nonstop supporting our students, our staff and our community with anybody that needs anything additional,” she said.

Tomlinson said she was coming to the press conference Thursday morning from Arbor View, where she said she met with and listened to students.

Social workers also were at Arbor View’s prom Saturday night, and a memorial softball game was held in which students wore ribbons in their hair to commemorate Scott. The student council also placed a memorial in front of the school for her, and a yearbook dedicated to Scott will be available for any student to sign, Tomlinson said.

Prior issues with crosswalk

Those at Arbor View say that Scott’s death is not the first incident at that crosswalk.

At a rally in Scott’s honor Wednesday morning, Ashley Brewer said her son, an Arbor View ninth grader, is still recovering from injuries he suffered as a cyclist in a crash at the North Buffalo Drive crosswalk almost a month ago.

Brewer said the design of the now-faded painted walkway — and the attitude of the drivers who encountered it — had become unacceptable.

The school district is looking into prior complaints about the crosswalk, CCSD communications chief Tod Story said at the press conference.

Blackeye said traffic engineers from the city of Las Vegas have been at the school conducting a study as part of the city’s Vision Zero Project, which aims to eliminate traffic fatalities and severe injuries.

He said the school district will be working with the county to create a regional network of traffic safety around schools.

“Unfortunately these efforts do not stop irresponsible driving, impairment, which all too often become a factor in the death of our students,” he said.

Metro Capt. Noe Esparza said police will be conducting extra patrols in surrounding neighborhoods to ensure student safety before and after school.

“I ask you to please slow down,” Esparza said, referring to drivers. “I also want to talk directly to the parents, and urge all of you to discuss the importance of following traffic laws while riding bicycles, e-bikes and e-scooters. It is the responsibility of a rider to understand and abide by all traffic laws while riding on the roadways.”

The Clark County Commission unanimously approved an ordinance Tuesday that will regulate the use of electric bicycles, scooters and motorcycles on county land.

The recent popularity of the battery-powered recreational vehicles among teenagers has coincided with a rise of injuries and some fatalities, officials have said.

Other safety concerns

Another complaint from those at Arbor View relates to the lack of crossing guards at the school.

CCSD officials said that crossing guards are run by municipalities and not the school district. Each jurisdiction is required to provide guards for all elementary schools, and some have recently expanded to middle schools.

An increase in campus security monitors at schools, Blackeye said, also has helped decrease the number of guns found in schools.

District officials were asked Thursday about whether there would be any security updates at Bailey Middle School. In March, a parent allegedly entered a school and threatened to shoot and kill a teacher who allegedly mocked her daughter.

In emails between the principal and school district officials, the school said it had been told since 2019 that a security gate is two years away from being installed. CCSD officials responded that the gate was not slated until the beginning of 2027.

Story confirmed Thursday that the 2027 date would not change, regardless of the safety concerns from those who work at the school.

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Contact Katie Futterman at kfutterman@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ktfutts on X and @katiefutterman.bsky.social.