School Board postpones decision on closing two rural schools

Lundy Elementary School on Mount Charleston and Goodsprings Elementary School near the California border were reprieved Thursday by the Clark County School Board, which voted to postpone a decision on closing the two rural sites for a year.

Both campuses will stay open through 2009-10, much to the relief of parents and students who dreaded the long, daily bus rides to other schools. Goodsprings residents were spared the heartbreak of closing their 96-year-old school, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The School Board voted 6-0 in favor of the postponement and members were rewarded with much applause from an audience packed with affected families and community members. School Board member Larry Mason was absent.

The crowd vastly outnumbered the enrollment at both K-5 schools — Lundy has nine students and Goodsprings has six students.

The downturn in the economy has made the district question the continued operation of the two rural schools. District staff estimated that they were spending about $21,000 per child at Lundy and Goodsprings versus the $7,000 spent per pupil at a city school.

Speakers at the meeting pledged to do whatever it takes to keep Lundy and Goodsprings open, from contributing money for school supplies to volunteering as custodians or gym and music teachers.

“I will have those kids bench-pressing 220 (pounds) and playing Rachmaninoff,” said Deanna Rabice, a parent whose 9-year-old daughter, Allie, is in the third grade at Lundy.

The tight bonds between the communities and their schools helped to sway the School Board members, who said they want more time to investigate issues, such as whether the closures would produce real savings.

School Board members acknowledged that the community found “discrepancies" in district staff’s financial figures. The board was also reluctant to subject small children to prolonged bus rides. Children from Mount Charleston would have been sent to Indian Springs Elementary School, which is 43 miles away.

Deanna Wright, a new School Board member, said she approached the meeting with a “knot in my stomach.”

School Board member Carolyn Edwards, who made the motion for the postponement, warned the crowd that school closures remain a real possibility.

Contact reporter James Haug at jhaug@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4686.