2 Las Vegas charter schools are considering a merger
Two Las Vegas public charter schools — TEACH Las Vegas and Sage Collegiate — are exploring the possibility of a merger, but a decision hasn’t been made yet.
The topic arose during a Tuesday night school board meeting for TEACH Las Vegas.
It comes after TEACH Las Vegas’ Executive Director Andrea Moore resigned this month. Classes were abruptly canceled for a couple of days combined with a long weekend, and police were called to respond to two disturbances at the North Rancho Drive campus. A large number of students and teachers have left.
“Sage Collegiate is exploring the possibility of acquiring the TEACH Las Vegas campus and folding their school under our umbrella,” Sage Collegiate Board Chair Jennifer Braster said in a statement Wednesday. “Our team is doing its due diligence to assess the viability of this and have the benefits to all parties at the forefront of our minds.”
State law allows for campus mergers, the statement says, and “both schools are working with attorneys and the State Public Charter School Authority to determine if and how to proceed.”
Sage Collegiate Executive Director Sandra Kinne said in the statement: “We want to ensure children at TEACH have a school at which to continue their education this year and want what is best for students and families at both campuses.”
TEACH officials didn’t respond to a Las Vegas Review-Journal request for comment Wednesday.
The school, which opened in 2021, serves elementary and middle school students.
The school announced in a letter last week that it was considering “forming a close relationship” with another local charter school — which it didn’t name — and “possibly joining that school’s network.”
The Nevada State Public Charter School Authority said in a statement Wednesday that it will “continue to work closely with the school’s board and all involved parties to ensure the focus remains on mitigating the impact on students and families.”
Sage Collegiate, an independent school that opened in August 2022, has nearly 250 students in kindergarten through sixth grades at its campus on West Charleston Boulevard.
Kinne said Wednesday that nothing has been decided yet regarding a possible merger. That includes details such as whether TEACH Las Vegas would keep its name and campus.
TEACH Las Vegas’ board passed a resolution Tuesday night to work with Sage Collegiate, she said, noting that Sage is working out some contracts with TEACH’s attorney.
TEACH’s charter management organization will support the school on a month-to-month basis, Kinne said.
A couple of Sage Collegiate staff members will go to TEACH Las Vegas on Monday to support on-the-ground work and operations, Kinne said.
Team members will assess the priorities for the campus and what has to happen more immediately, she said.
School board meeting
During Tuesday night’s school board meeting, TEACH Public Schools network CEO Raul Carranza thanked parents for their support and comments.
“We’re definitely taking note,” he said.
As of Tuesday morning, 218 children were in attendance in classes and 247 were enrolled, Carranza said.
The school previously had more than 400 students.
“I have been meeting with a lot of parents and concern number one has been, ‘Will the school remain open? Is there a teacher for the class?’” Carranza said.
A dedicated core group of teachers stayed at the school, Carranza said, and there’s a teacher for every classroom, though some are substitute teachers.
The school also got extra substitutes this week to ensure student safety, he said.
He said that there was already a large number of teachers that only had a substitute license.
Carranza said the school is committed to continuing to provide an education for children.
He said it’s also evaluating whether to merge some classes due to a smaller number of students.
The board heard about 20 minutes of opening public comments — mainly, from parents who want to see the school remain open.
Some commenters didn’t state their full names. Several parents spoke in Spanish and their comments were translated into English.
One parent said he wants TEACH to remain open, also noting it’s a work in progress. “We just want to see it continue.”
A former employee said she moved out of state, but is trying to receive her final payments, including a missing amount under the Public Employees’ Retirement System.
She said she has emailed six different staff members, including human resources, but hasn’t received a response.
Contact Julie Wootton-Greener at jgreener@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2921. Follow @julieswootton on X.