District gathers input for resolving elementary school crowding

Move fifth-graders to middle schools, construct elementary schools entirely of portable buildings, or have students attend school in two shifts, from 7 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 6 p.m.

Parents were put on the spot Monday and asked to decide among seven unorthodox options, such as these, for alleviating crowding at Clark County School District elementary schools.

And they must pick quickly because the School Board will weigh parents' suggestions Wednesday when it decides which short-term fix to implement in August.

"We're here because the district put all its eggs in one basket," parent Eric Locklar told district officials and 250 parents at Sierra Vista High School during a meeting Monday to gather community input.

The district was pushing for a
$669 million property tax increase that failed in the November election.

Deputy Superintendent Pat Skorkowsky and School Board member Carolyn Edwards acknowledged that the failed ballot question is the reason for acting quickly now.

Crowding isn't a new problem. The district realized last school year that current and future crowding - especially in southwest Las Vegas Valley elementary schools - was an issue but put off action because of the planned tax increase.

"Now, a decision has to be made," Edwards said. "We can't maintain the status quo."

Districtwide, enrollment is 9 percent over capacity at Clark County's 217 elementary schools.

At nearly 40 elementary schools, though, staff members are teaching a quarter more students than their buildings can hold, relying on portable classrooms and even portable bathrooms to do so.

Go to www.ccsd.net/overcrowding to see the seven options and the impacts, and to complete the survey.

The School Board is expected to make a decision Wednesday at 8 a.m. during a meeting at the Greer Education Center, 2832 E. Flamingo Road.

Contact reporter Trevon Milliard at tmilliard@
reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0279.