School District reacts to many students’ growing feelings of isolation

By Emily Richmond (contact)

Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2005 | 8:40 a.m.

The latest Nevada Youth Risk Behavior Survey, the results of which were released last week, indicated that a growing percentage of Clark County middle and high school students are feeling isolated and threatened on campus.

That has Walt Rulffes, interim superintendent of the Clark County School District, more than a little concerned.

"These are supposed to be the best years," Rulffes said. "As a whole community, we probably need to step up our efforts and initiatives to reach every student possible."

Rulffes said plans for smaller high schools with specialized magnet programs are "a natural remedy to some of these issues."

"With 1,500 kids instead of 3,000, there's less chance of someone falling through the cracks," he said.

Several Clark County high schools, including Rancho and Spring Valley, have already adopted the tenets of "smaller learning communities," in which students are divided into "houses" by their career and post-secondary interests and assigned the same counselors and deans for all four years.

Safety in numbers

A new school safety committee, made up of representatives from the School District, law enforcement, municipal agencies and parent groups, is moving forward with organizing plans and has scheduled its next meeting.

Gina Greisen, a parent who helped launch the committee, said she's pleased by the progress. But, Greisen said, the real solutions will come from average citizens taking up the cause.

Especially behind the wheel.

"Slow down," Greisen said. "Don't block, park on or park within 20 feet of a crosswalk."

She also said there are other ways to get involved.

"Volunteer to be a crossing guard at your child's school," she said. "Talk to your children about safety. If you see (traffic) signs that are blocked, call your jurisdiction's public works department to report it."

The school zone traffic safety committee will meet Jan. 4 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Clark County School District Administrative Center, 5100 W. Sahara Ave. The meeting is open to the public.

Breaking up is hard to do

Have an idea for breaking up the Clark County School District? The Legislative Counsel Bureau wants to hear it.

Clark County is the nation's fifth largest school district, with 292,000 students. Some critics, including Sen. Sandra Tiffany, R-Henderson, say that's too big for students to receive a quality education.

"The question isn't whether we should break up the district, it's how we should do it," said Tiffany, who pushed for the $250,000 study during a special legislative session this year.

Consultants have until Jan. 20 to submit their proposals for conducting the breakup study, which would examine the fiscal and educational impacts of dividing Clark County into smaller geographic school districts.

The proposals will be reviewed by the LCB's audit division as well as Tiffany and Assembly Majority Leader Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas.

"I'm hoping we're going to hear from people who understand the financial and structural aspects," Tiffany said. "I don't want somebody writing a book about it, I want somebody with actual experience and expertise in breaking up a large district."

Emily Richmond can be reached at 259-8829 or at emily@lasvegassun.com.