Alternatives to school construction offered

Terry Webster

Monday, Feb. 21, 2000 | 11:21 a.m.

The Clark County School District needs creativity and vision more than earthmovers and carpenters to accommodate the rapid growth in Southern Nevada, according to Gerald Tirozzi, executive director of the National Association of Secondary School Principals in Reston, Va.

"Bricks and mortar aren't always the answer," Tirozzi said. "You have to be very creative and anticipate the future."

One way to cope with overcrowding is to create a "school within a school," he said. This means students would be separated into groups and assigned to a certain area of the school, cutting down on hallway traffic.

Technology -- home-based computer courses and distance learning -- is another option.

"I think people are really going to have to start looking very seriously at how technology can help," Tirozzi said.

Sometimes schools can be made year-round, Michael Carr, spokesman for the national principals group, said. In fact, many elementary and even middle schools in Clark County have dealt with overcrowding by becoming year-round. "People don't like that for high schools because it disrupts teaching schedules and athletics," he said.

Tirozzi said it also has been argued that 11th and 12th graders don't belong in high schools; they should be in community colleges or work intensive internships.

"In New York City they have actually placed high schools in business towers," said Tirozzi, who jokingly added it probably wouldn't be a good idea to put high schools in casinos.

Dusty Dickens, director of the Clark County School District's demographics, zoning and realty development department, said placing schools in buildings other than schools has not been considered.

"We don't have a lot of old buildings," she said. "But we do have land."