Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Letter to the editor:

Solution for low-performing schools

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Daniel Akst’s recent “Other Voices” column about how poverty plagues our schools misses the point that poverty and bad schools are coincidental. Inner-city schools in high-poverty areas suffer from a culture of low student expectations. Studies demonstrate that when these students are allowed to attend outlying schools, they show the ability to come up to the performance level of the good schools.

This presents an opportunity in Las Vegas, where some of the older, inner-city schools could be closed for repair. The displaced students could go to other schools and then return when the schools are renovated. Those schools could then function as magnet schools.

This can be accomplished at minimum cost. Our school buses travel empty to and from the bus barns. Bus drivers could be used to transport these students. The time these students spend at the school while the buses do their local student transportation could be used for tutorial help, homework and meals. Volunteer help for this would be more available than in the inner city.

This plan would foster the school choice program where transportation considerations often limit its use.

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