Garcia, Goodman discuss joint projects

By Emily Richmond (contact)

Monday, Oct. 20, 2003 | 10:59 a.m.

Clark County Schools Superintendent Carlos Garcia said he had a "promising" meeting last week with Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman to discuss a possible partnership between the district and city.

Garcia said the meeting grew out of a conversation he had with the mayor in August about the opening of the new Hollingsworth Elementary School. The new, two-story campus was designed to help revitalize one of the city's more downtrodden neighborhoods.

"The mayor asked if he could be involved and I said there was plenty of room here for all of us," Garcia said Friday. "I told him we would be thrilled to have his involvement at any level."

Garcia visited the mayor at his office to discuss a more formal partnership. The plans are still in the early stages, but possible projects could include a campaign to promote literacy, Garcia said.

"It was a very positive conversation about what he and the city could do to support the school district," Garcia said. "Education isn't just important for the schools or the students or their parents. It's an issue for all of us."

Deputy City Manager Betsy Fretwell said she would be working with school district staff to discuss potential partnerships.

The city already supports educational programs by providing facilities for after-school programs and initiatives, Fretwell said, but there may be opportunities for additional ventures.

"The mayor takes a very personal interest in the cause of education, and it's something everyone here at the city wants to support," Fretwell said this morning.

Joyce Woodhouse, director of the district's School-Community Partnership Program, said many city, county and state workers already help out at schools on an individual basis. A mentoring program partnership that pairs Boulder City and North Las Vegas employees with at-risk students has yielded a fresh crop of volunteers, for instance.

"With this additional level of commitment from the mayor, that just means even more people will get involved," Woodhouse said. "That's a big plus for all of us and especially for our students."

Hugh Anderson, vice chairman of finance for the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce trustee executive committee, said encouraging educational partnerships is a key component of the chamber's Workforce 2010 project.

The decadelong initiative is divided into three tiers -- supporting K-12 education, providing internships and mentoring for college students and job training programs for adults.

While it isn't directly connected to the Workforce 2010 project, Anderson said he was pleased to hear Goodman and Garcia were discussing a joint venture.

"One of the things I'm always observing when I visit a region that is doing well is that there are always strong partnerships between the educational infrastructure, municipalities and private companies," said Anderson, an executive with Merrill Lynch. "When you share that common interest it makes the job that much easier. It's critical to the success not only of schools but of the communities they serve. "