$11 mil. Agassi school expansion dedicated

By Emily Richmond (contact)

Friday, Feb. 21, 2003 | 8:56 a.m.

Andrew Colton, a third grader at the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy in Las Vegas, said Thursday his school's founder and namesake could do anything he set his mind to -- with one possible exception.

"He should never play those Williams sisters (Venus and Serena) two-on-one," Colton said, as he watched Agassi greet guests for the groundbreaking of his school's expansion project on Lake Mead Drive not far from Las Vegas Boulevard. "He's great, but that wouldn't be a good idea."

For Andrew and his schoolmates, Agassi's 54 career singles titles and winnings of more than $25 million are less important than the Las Vegas native's commitment to the Clark County charter school he opened in August 2001.

"When I went to my old school I felt like I didn't fit in," said third grader Mayisha Marlowe, who was clad in the Agassi Prep uniform of navy pants and a dark red shirt. "I feel like I belong here."

Agassi, who spent part of the morning visiting with students, said he's continually amazed every time he visits the campus that bears his name.

"Two years ago I stood across the street and looked over here, and (the school) was just a dream," Agassi told the audience of assembled dignitaries, including Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., and Elaine Wynn, wife of casino developer Steve Wynn. "To expect a lot of a child just means you care a lot about a child. Thank you for expecting so much from these children."

As a charter school, Agassi Prep receives the same per-pupil funds as other district schools but operates more independently. The school will also receive $1 million in federal funds as part of Nevada's share of the 2003 Omnibus Appropriations Bill, secured by Ensign and Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev.

"(Agassi Prep) has been doing great work since it opened," said Reid, who did not attend the groundbreaking. "Now, thanks to this expansion, they'll be able to teach more Nevada children than ever before, and that means more Nevada children will have a chance for a college education."

The school's population is nearly 90 percent black, with many of the 200 students coming from lower-income families living in the hardscrabble neighborhoods surrounding the campus.

"We don't call our children at-risk," Agassi Prep Principal Wayne Tanaka said Thursday. "We call them at-promise."

The school currently offers classes for grades three through six. The expansion will include a 27,000-square-foot middle school for grades seven and eight, along with a 26,000-square-foot multipurpose and music building.

The remaining upper grades, along with kindergarten through grade two, are slated for addition over the next five years.

Much of the funding for the $11 million expansion project will come through Agassi's charitable foundation's fund-raising efforts as well as corporate partnerships.

Agassi announced Thursday he will be launching a men's product line with Aramis and Designer Fragrances, in part because the company's parent corporation -- Estee Lauder Cos. -- has promised ongoing financial support to the school.

"We're very excited to begin this new relationship with Andre," Aramis president John Karp said Thursday after a tour of the academy. "And now, having seen this beautiful school, I can say we're proud to be involved with such a worthwhile project."