Empowerment schools get extra money, resources

By Frances Vanderploeg

Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008 | midnight

Several Henderson principals have had to worry about functioning with less money this year, but Principal Carrie Larson won't have to make tough spending choices at C.T. Sewell Elementary School.

Sewell became one of the Clark County School District's 14 empowerment schools last year, which gives principals more control over how school funds are used.

Sewell and the other empowerment schools did not receive as much as they might have, but Sewell did get an additional $400 per student from the School District because of its empowerment status, said Jeremy Hauser, academic manager of empowerment schools.

In addition, the Lincy Foundation, which is supported by billionaire Kirk Kerkorian, announced last month that it would provide Sewell with an additional $200 per student.

"(The empowerment program) has rejuvenated our schools," Larson said. "Teachers will have everything they need at their fingertips. … Who else can do that?"

In addition, the empowerment schools generally receive an additional $50,000 per year from a financial partner.

Duncan Lee and his wife, Irene, the partners for Sewell, looked over a wish list Larson had put together before going on a spending spree for the school. They bought school materials, books and instruction manuals, he said, and provided money to bring in specialists for students who need extra help.

"After meeting Dr. Larson, it appeared that she really cared about the students there, and we felt she has the expertise and the managerial skills to really make a dramatic change at the school," he said.

In addition to getting more budget control, empowerment schools become more accountable and more focused on community involvement, Hauser said.

"The expectation in the end is that student achievement increases," he said. "How the school goes about that is really up to the school to determine."

Sewell was on the watch list under federal No Child Left Behind standards last year, but Larson is confident everything that is happening at the school will change that. She said the school was only 23 students away from making the grade, so the school is focusing on the language arts of students in the subgroups that failed.

Beyond a larger budget, Larson said, one of the greatest things about empowerment is the ability to work with community groups.

Lee has put Sewell in touch with other community partners, he said, including the Rotary Club and Spread the Word Nevada, Kids to Kids.

"We're trying to energize community partners to get involved with that school, and I think we've been quite successful," Lee said. "Dr. Larson has been instrumental in explaining the empowerment school concept to the community partners."

Frances Vanderploeg can be reached at 990-2660 or [email protected].