Schools sensitive to tough economy

In recognition that many Clark County School District families are facing tough economic times, students' supply lists come with a disclaimer: schools will provide the pencil and paper basics; other material purchases are optional.

School officials emphasized Thursday that they want to be sensitive to the financial stress some families are under and are urging teachers and principals to go easy on recommending extras such as calculators.

Schools also are operating lean this year because of state funding reductions, but educators expect to welcome about 310,000 students this year.

Monday is the first day of school.

Ten new schools will open in the district next week, including four replacement schools. All, except Scott Elementary School in North Las Vegas, will open Monday. Scott's opening was delayed until Sept. 15 by road construction.

In addition, a new virtual high school is expected to go live in February.

Superintendent Walt Rulffes reviewed the developments Thursday during a back-to-school news conference at Gray Elementary School, which meets federal standards as a high achieving school.

Parents also were reminded to immunize their seventh-graders for TDAP, the acronym for Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis, or whooping cough. Without the immunizations, seventh-graders can't attend school.

School officials worried that if seventh-graders miss school because of that, the district might not get an accurate count of enrollment, which is necessary for planning and hiring.

For the first time in 25 years, Rulffes said, enrollment growth is expected to be almost flat, perhaps growing or declining by 1.5 percent.

Those concerns didn't affect the excitement of Heather Cyra, who, like her students, will be starting out new. She is a first-year teacher for first-graders at Gray.

"I'm nervous, I'm excited and overwhelmed all at the same time," Cyra said.

Contact reporter James Haug at jhaug@ reviewjournal.com or 702-799-2922.