Name on school brings tears to retired coach’s eyes

Thursday, Aug. 19, 2004 | 9:41 a.m.

When Jack Mannion found out a campus would be named for him and his wife, the retired high school basketball coach admits he joked that the Clark County School District must have finally exhausted the list of people deserving the honor.

"With all of the schools they're building, I figured they ran out of names," Mannion said Wednesday. "But I'll tell you this -- when my wife and I first saw the name on the side of the construction trailer at the school site, it brought tears to our eyes."

Mannion Middle School is one of 13 new schools and one replacement campus showcased by the district at the Las Vegas Convention Center Wednesday as the district held its annual "Celebration of Progress."

Mannion spent 32 years with the district and created the Scholar Athlete Award. His wife, Terry Mannion, retired after 30 years, having held nearly every post between teacher and assistant superintendent.

Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev. -- a member of Valley High School's first graduating class -- attended Wednesday's event and took a moment to catch up with Mannion, who had been the boys' gym teacher when she was student manager of the cheerleading squad.

"It's unbelievable how well the district has been able to handle this phenomenal growth," Berkley said. "It's nothing short of spectacular."

The Clark County School District is poised to shatter records this year, with 14 new campuses, 1,900 new teachers and a projected student enrollment of 280,000.

Virgin Valley Elementary School, a replacement campus, was completed in January. The 13 new campuses -- including three high schools -- will all open on time and on budget, said Dale Scheideman, director of planning and engineering for the district.

"I figured it out -- by 2008 will will have built 220 new schools in 20 years," Scheideman said.

The district is more than halfway through a 10-year, $3.5 billion capital improvement plan launched in 1998. With student enrollment continuing to grow by about 5 percent each year, the district expects to run out of elementary school seats by 2007 -- a year before a voter-approved bond measure expires.