EDITORIAL: Back to school a time for optimism, excitement

Many parents breathed a sigh of relief Monday when Clark County public school students returned to the classroom. Drivers must be mindful of school zones and other areas where children may congregate during early morning and dismissal hours. It might help to remember that last school year 138 students were struck by vehicles as they walked to and from campus.

District enrollment is expected to be around 295,000 students for the 2024-25 academic year. That’s down nearly 8 percent from a peak of 320,000 a decade ago despite the region’s rising population. More families have selected other options for their children thanks to the remote learning disaster.

Legislators take notice. District officials also blame a declining birthrate for the lower student population and believe the downward trend will continue.

Returning students will have to make some adjustments. The district has expanded an ID badge policy for middle school and high school students as a security measure. In addition, kids will now face tighter restrictions on cellphone use. During class, they will be required to place their devices in signal-blocking pouches to reduce distractions.

The latter policy is welcome and long overdue. Teachers should not be forced to compete with hand-held supercomputers that sidetrack students from the task at hand and disrupt academic lessons. District officials have already faced pushback on the policy from helicopter parents and students uncomfortable with being temporarily cut off from the nest. But administrators must remain resolute in enforcing policies designed to make the classroom more conducive to academic achievement.

Along with students, the district also welcomes back 18,000 teachers and thousands of support staff. The vast majority of these educators are dedicated to the development and well-being of their young charges and deserve the community’s gratitude. The first week of school is an excellent opportunity for parents to help teachers and administrators by taking an active interest in the education of their children. Students with parents who pay close attention to their academic progress are more likely to score higher on standardized tests, studies show.

The district is the nation’s fifth largest and struggles with absenteeism and stagnant test scores. It is currently without a superintendent, as trustees conduct a national search to hire the man or woman who will become the district’s sixth leader in the past 20 years. But district challenges aside, now is the time for students to look ahead with excitement, optimism and hope as they chart their paths for the great wide open that lies in front of them.