Zoning commission sends rezoning recommendations to school board

The latest step in determining how to address overcrowded schools took place Jan. 21 when the Clark County School District’s Attendance Zone Advisory Commission discussed the pros and cons of three previously agreed upon rezoning options.

The commission met at the Edward A. Greer Education Center, 2832 E. Flamingo Road, and decided on its recommendations for Superintendent Pat Skorkowsky and the Clark County Board of School Trustees. Albert Delgado, the commission’s chairman, said overcrowding has been on the school district’s watchlist for several years.

“Do we have to do something to keep schools on a nine-month schedule, which is what the majority of the community has expressed that they want? Yes, we (have to act),” he said. “We have to consider what is best for the kids in that community.”

The commission voted to make the following recommendations:

For the high school portion, which affects Arbor View, 7500 Whispering Sands Drive, and Shadow Ridge, 5050 Brent Lane, proposal No. 1 was agreed upon, which expands Shadow Ridge’s territory to include the area south of the 215 Beltway between U.S. Highway 95 and Ann Road.

The plan includes phasing, or the reassigning of one grade level each year until all grades nine through 12 have been reassigned. It would begin with the ninth grade for the 2014-15 school year.

Middle schools Rogich, 235 Pavilion Center Drive; Becker, 9151 Pinewood Hills Drive, and Johnson, 7701 Ducharme Ave., also were discussed. The commission voted for option No. 2, with an amendment that the area south of Alta Drive and east of Sky Vista Drive was to remain at Rogich. The area west of Sky Vista Drive and north of Alta Drive, which is currently undeveloped, would be zoned for Johnson without phasing (phasing is not needed as no current students are being reassigned).

Elementary schools had three areas of interest for development tracking. The first one, called E1, dealt with Givens, 655 Park Vista Drive; Staton, 1700 Sageberry Drive; Piggott, 9601 Desert Hills Drive; Bonner, 765 Crestdale Lane, and Lummis, 9000 Hillpointe Road. The commission recommended proposal No. 2 for E1, with an amendment for the area east of Sky Vista Drive to south of Alta Drive to remain at Givens, with future developments west of Sky Vista Drive and north of Alta Drive going to Piggott.

It would extend Piggott’s reach north to Alta Drive and see Lummis’ boundary move south to that point. Staton’s northern reach would shrink to Summerlin Parkway. Givens’ northern border would be Alta Drive.

For more information, visit azac.ccsd.net.

E2 dealt with elementary schools Allen, 8680 W. Hammer Lane; Bilbray, 9370 Brent Lane; Bozarth, 7431 N. Egan Crest Drive; Darnell, 9480 W. Tropical Parkway; Scherkenbach, 9371 Iron Mountain Road, and Thompson, 7351 N. Campbell Road. The commissioners voted to recommend proposal No. 1.

Farther east, the E3 area — with boundaries that look like offset boxes between Elkhorn Road and Grand Teton Drive — would change between Triggs, 4470 W. Rome Blvd.; Heckethorn, 5150 Whispering Sands Drive; Rhodes, 7350 Tealwood St., and Neal, 6651 W. Azure Drive, elementary schools. See the website for exact boundaries.

New development was looming on the horizon in areas that currently are raw land with no roads, said commission member Becky Nielson.

“Let’s zone it now, while there’s no one there,” she said. “This is the time to move … this is what we call ‘long-term planning.’ “

Only a handful of parents attended the four-hour meeting. They expressed their concerns before it began. Summerlin resident Anthony Bender said he bought his house 11 years ago and chose it, in part, because his two children would go to Staton.

“They’re looking to send them to Lummis, which is a significantly lower-performing school,” he said. “I’m hoping that they leave the Staton area alone.”

Bender said besides uprooting his children, rezoning would bring a marked drop in property values.

Kim Lewis has two children at Bozarth Elementary. She said her biggest fear was “being rezoned. They’re established there, and I’m established there. I know the staff. I know the administration. The school is, literally, three minutes from our house, and we could be rezoned further away, no longer within walking distance.”

Misti Webb has triplets going into the fifth grade at Bozarth.

“They’re very concerned for their last year in elementary school,” she said. “Their kindergarten teacher is now the fifth-grade teacher, and they’re hoping to have (her) again. It’s the fear of the unknown. I understand the big picture, the reasoning why, but, as Mom, it’s a little different.”

Jose Solorio, a commission member whose district is in Summerlin, said he understood the parents’ concerns.

“We’ve had a lot of growth, so Givens has nearly 1,100 students. It’s a school with a capacity of, like, 780,” Solorio said. “And there’s future growth anticipated. The major fear of parents is that the school might go year-round, especially if there is continued growth. … Proposal No. 2 leaves Staton boundaries alone, Bonner boundaries alone, and would basically zone future growth to the next closest school. … I believe if new growth knows where their (children) will be going … (to) school, it’s not (an issue). They’ll buy their house knowing they’re going to Piggott.”

Contact Summerlin/Summerlin South View reporter Jan Hogan at jhogan@viewnews.com or 702-387-2949.