Editorial: One design doesn’t fit all schools

Monday, April 28, 2003 | 8:45 a.m.

Five times since last fall there have been shootings, fights or other disturbances that have caused authorities at Booker to order a "lock down" affecting everyone inside. No, Booker is not a jail or prison. It's an elementary school in West Las Vegas. The lock downs happen when gunfire, a fight, or other violent activity erupts in the school's neighborhood, often as the result of gang rivalry or drug dealing. The children are kept in their classrooms until the principal feels it's safe enough for them to venture outside for recess or head home after school.

Because of the high incidences of criminal activity in the area of the school, as affirmed by Metro Police records, parents and students pleaded with the School Board last week for changes to the building's design. Booker is soon to be rebuilt, using money from a bond issue approved by voters in 1998. A task force of area residents and school officials recommended a departure from the school district's normal template for elementary school designs. The parents and students asked the board to adopt the recommendation.

After a two-hour debate, the board made the right decision in voting to allow a specialized design that would incorporate special safety features. In our view, the decision should have been an instantaneous yes, as the safety of schoolchildren outweighs all other arguments. Some board members worried that allowing a specialized design for Booker would lead to demands that the district allow customized designs in other schools, which could lead to increased costs not approved by voters. Most other schools, however, do not share the statistics that Booker must bear. Last month alone, there were 44 robberies, 97 residential burglaries, 39 business burglaries and 126 car thefts in the vicinity of Booker, according to Metro Police records.

The board's approval was tempered with the order that the school's construction must not exceed $15 million, the limit set for elementary schools built to the normal design. The specialized design includes a perimeter wall and reinforced entryways. According to the district's construction manager, the new design could end up being a prototype of its own for the few other urban schools facing similar safety concerns -- a good reason not to skimp on this project. We hope the board will use its discretion and approve a reasonable cost overrun if it's warranted by the necessary safety features.