Board changes fifth-graders’ middle school plans
Hundreds of elementary students won't be going to the middle schools they expected to attend.
The Clark County School District is tweaking several zones in south Las Vegas and Henderson to alleviate crowding at Miller, White, Silvestri and Webb middle schools. Over the next three years, 715 students will be shifted to Greenspun, Schofield and Silvestri middle schools, which have available seats.
It wasn't an easy decision for Clark County School Board members, who know what it's like to be moved.
Board member Deanna Wright said at Thursday's meeting that her children were rezoned three times in elementary school.
"Stability is important for kids," said board member Erin Cranor, who was torn but supported rezoning.
The board passed the zone changes on a 5-1 vote. Lorraine Alderman was the dissenting vote. John Cole was absent.
"I feel like we have an opportunity," Cranor said.
That opportunity is to make the rezone as painless as possible, said Rick Baldwin, the district's director of demographics and zoning.
"We're doing this in a kinder, gentler way," he said, noting that waiting to act would make the problem worse.
The board-approved plan has three phases of rezoning, starting with 246 fifth-graders headed to middle school in 2012-13. Additional students will be moved in 2013-14 and 2014-15.
"This is a very hard decision, but the right thing to do," board member Carolyn Edwards said.
The changes approved were:
■ Fifth-graders living south of Cactus Avenue to Bermuda Road, west of Bermuda to St. Rose Parkway, northwest of St. Rose to Interstate 15, and east of I-15 to Cactus Avenue, will be reassigned from Webb to Silvestri.
■ Fifth-graders living south of Pebble Road to the Las Vegas Beltway, southwest of the Beltway to Eastern Avenue, west of Eastern to Serene Avenue, north of Serene to Bermuda, east of Bermuda to Pebble Road, will be reassigned from Silvestri to Schofield.
■ Fifth-graders in the area south of Robindale Road to Green Valley Parkway, west of Green Valley to Pebble Road, north of Pebble to Pecos Road, east of Pecos to Robindale Road, will be reassigned from Miller to Greenspun.
Contact Trevon Milliard at tmilliard@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0279.
