Schools report angers West Las Vegas community

A report on the growing racial isolation at six elementary schools in West Las Vegas caused an angry backlash today at a Clark County School Board meeting.

Residents from West Las Vegas, a historically black community with a growing Hispanic population, were cynical and suspicious about a report from Gary Orfield, a University of California, Los Angeles professor of education who also is co-director of the UCLA Civil Rights Project. Orfield did the report at the request of the Clark County School District.

West Las Vegas residents questioned if the report was a pretext for a new, mandated school busing program. They also criticized the findings as an old story, often retold, without any new constructive solutions.

“Everything in the report we’ve heard time and time again,” said Marzette Lewis of the West Las Vegas community group, WAAK-Up.

The report said that six Las Vegas elementary schools are in danger of triple segregation, or isolation by language barrier, poverty and race. A third of the students at six elementary schools — Booker, Carson, Fitzgerald, Kelly, McCall and Wendell Williams — are limited English speakers.

Anyika Kamal said he was “ashamed” of School Board Member Linda Young for her lack of leadership. Young represents West Las Vegas, generally bordered by Carey Avenue to the north, Bonanza Road on the south, Interstate 15 on the east and Rancho Drive on the west. Young left the meeting to follow Kamal, a Las Vegas firefighter, to the parking lot. Young said she wanted to reach out to him.

Orfield said he took offense to the “wild accusations” and said it was complete fabrication to say his report urged a new busing program.

William Trent, a professor from the University of Illinois who also served as a consultant, said everyone needs to learn how to listen.

Contact report Jim Haug at jhaug@reviewjournal.com or 702-799-2922.