EDITORIAL: Status quo no option

As expected, the state Board of Education on Thursday gave the go-ahead to the reorganization of the Clark County School District, the nation’s fifth largest.

The plan aims to decentralize the bureaucracy in a district that has long produced disappointing test results and ranks near the bottom by many student achievement standards. The proposal shifts power to principals, teachers and parents at each of the district’s 357 schools, giving them more authority to make decisions regarding priorities on individual campuses.

The proposed regulations governing the reorganization — scheduled for the 2017-18 school year — now require final approval from a 12-member legislative panel set to meet on Friday. A yes vote is expected.

There will no doubt be hiccups and missteps as the district moves forward with this ambitious initiative. Improvements won’t be quick or immediate. Progress takes time and hard work and long-term success depends on more than just a management philosophy.

But change attacks comfort. And it’s apparent that too many entrenched interests have for too many years simply accepted shabby results as the district’s preordained destiny. Doing nothing cannot be an option in a school system that features far too many youngsters who struggle with even basic academic tasks, a district in which the great majority of those who earn diplomas remain unprepared for college-level courses.

This so-called empowerment model has an admirable track record across the country. If implemented properly, it offers hope that increased autonomy and accountability will trigger expanded opportunities and increased expectations for children throughout the district. They deserve no less.