CCSD expands special programs, limits busing options

Clark County School District officials continue to flesh out the details of their evolving transportation plans for students attending next year’s expanded magnet programs.

As the district grows its magnet programs in the 2015-16 school year from about 5,000 students to 8,000, transportation costs are rising. To counter those costs, officials introduced a controversial zoning plan that largely restricts busing to only those students choosing to attend the closest campus offering their desired magnet program.

Magnet schools — with the exception of career and technical schools — have up to now provided busing to all students no matter where they live in the valley. Students still can apply to any program at any school, but they would have to get to the school on their own if they were outside a school’s zone.

Clark County schools currently offer 21,185 seats in magnet and career and technical programs, a number that will increase by a fourth under the two-year expansion, adding 5,000 seats. The new programs will focus on a range of subjects, including performing arts, finance and information technology, geology, engineering and math. The district will also expand the Swiss-based International Baccalaureate program, an academically intense program, into more schools.

Gia Moore, the district’s director of magnet schools and career and technical academies, said some of the goals of magnet expansion are to increase access and decrease the problem of crowded classrooms and underutilized buildings while providing more school choices.

On Thursday night, the Clark County School Board learned of some of the updates to the transportation plan that will go into effect next school year.

One of the updates is that “students accepted into a magnet program that a sibling currently attends will receive transportation,” Moore said.

And transportation will be provided districtwide for 2015-16 and 2016-17 to students attending the Las Vegas Academy to allow time for similar magnet programs to develop at Del Sol High School, Moore said.

Transportation zones were redrawn for the elementary STEM — or Science, Technology, Engineering and Math — programs to reflect diversity based upon zoning and enrollment data, Moore said.

Until programs at Spring Valley High School and Johnson Junior High School are fully authorized, students within Spring Valley’s transportation zone will be able to receive transportation to Valley High School and students zoned for Johnson will be able to receive transportation to Martin Middle School, Moore said.

District officials also noted that in the updated transportation plan:

■ Students currently attending magnet programs will continue to receive transportation until they complete their time at their school.

■ Any magnet school not listed will continue to receive districtwide transportation.

■ Career and technical academies will still maintain their current transportation zones.

Meanwhile, the application deadline for magnet programs — which offer students a chance to focus on a specialized field of study on top of the usual curriculum offered at schools — was pushed to Feb. 3 because of parental concerns over the transportation plan.

Contact Francis McCabe at fmccabe@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5512. Follow @fjmccabe on Twitter.