Parents protest changing school to magnet program

Friday, Jan. 25, 2002 | 9:55 a.m.

More than 50 parents attended Thursday's School Board meeting to protest a decision made more than a year ago to transform Bracken Elementary School into a magnet school specializing in math and science.

Parents, most of whom are Hispanic, complained that although the board made its decision to transform Bracken during a public meeting Dec. 14, 2000, they learned, mostly through word of mouth, of the decision just three weeks ago.

Bracken is expected to begin operating as a magnet school in the fall, and district officials said they have received more than 320 applications from prospective students.

School officials said the board's decision was widely reported by media and that bilingual notices were sent to parents.

Bracken was selected as one of six new magnet schools because it had the smallest population affected by the change, Deputy Superintendent Agustin Orci said. Based on the number of students and available seats, the district estimated 40 percent to 60 percent of the current students would not stay at Bracken, he said.

Bracken draws students from the Weeks Plaza housing project, and 90.6 percent of Bracken's pupils are minorities. More than 60 percent of students enrolled at the school are Hispanic, school officials said.

The residents of the eastern Las Vegas neighborhoods near the school said they purchased homes in the area so their children could attend school near their homes.

The district received $625,000 in federal funds last year to fund the new magnet school, said Glen Cooper, the district's magnet school program director. About $200,000 has been spent on preparing the school for its new role.

The School Board could not act on the Bracken parents' concern because it was not listed on the formal agenda, board President Sheila Moulton said. Board member Larry Mason requested the item be placed on the agenda for the board's Feb. 14 meeting.

Fernando Romero, a Las Vegas resident jof 35 years, said he feared only a third of the 521 students will remain at Bracken once the school's designation is changed.

Bracken as a magnet school is a "great idea," parent Hugo McCracken said, but he feared that most of the current students would be sent to other schools.

"Instead of helping the community, the Clark County School District is making it worse," he said.

Santa Lawrence, a parent, said she and other parents understand that the school was chosen as a magnet in an effort to desegregate the Hispanic student body. Still, parents feel more comfortable sending their children to a neighborhood school.

"I'm afraid parents feel that the proper channels were not taken before the school was chosen as a magnet," Lawrence said. "They feel it was done in an underhanded manner."