A school is born

There is tension in the principal's telephone voice.

"I can't meet you tomorrow. Tomorrow is out. Teachers are reporting for their first day tomorrow," she says.

Someone in the background asks her a question. She covers the receiver, helps him and comes back on the line.

"OK, sorry. I'm back. What? This afternoon? No. We are swamped. You have no idea how busy we are. Maybe Thursday."

It is Susan Segal's first year as a principal. It is Desert Pines High School's first year in existence. School started today. Last Thursday Segal -- with a two-way radio in one hand, the master set of building keys in the other -- made time to give a quick tour of the $32 million school, which is one of three new high schools in the Clark County School District. Desert Pines is located near Pecos Drive and Washington Avenue and was expected to draw about 1,700 students from the racially and socio-economically diverse area.

"You have no idea what it takes to start a school. A long time ago, they used to give principals a year to do this. Not anymore," Segal said as she walked into her office, smiling.

"Welcome to Desert Pines, come on in -- the air conditioning is finally working again -- have a seat."

She sat behind her desk, which was one of few fully assembled pieces of furniture in her office, just long enough to fire off one sentence: "OK, let's go." For months she and a core group of administrators and teachers have been creating the school essentially from scratch. They started in February with Saturday-morning bagel-and-coffee meetings at which they brainstormed about the school's mission statement. In time, the process turned into a seven-day work week with a slightly less esoteric focus. "You have no idea. There are computers to install. Teachers' manuals to make. Emergency procedures to establish. Staff interviews and hiring. Security. Shelves -- you take shelves for granted -- but the fact that we have shelves is an accomplishment," Segal said, stepping around a box of textbooks in the hallway.

Soon the group grew and began meeting in a portable classroom on the campus site while the building was under construction. ("But that was bad, because there were no bathrooms," said one teacher.)

They assessed students' standardized test scores, became familiar with the community's needs -- Spanish language services, for one -- and started a newsletter for parents and students who fall into the school's boundaries.

This year Desert Pines will have only grades 9 through 11; seniors will be present next year. The school is drawing its population from Rancho, Eldorado, Las Vegas and Mojave high schools, as well as from the middle schools that feed those high schools. The building, which became inhabitable in June, smells like new carpet and has a splashy coat of periwinkle paint. An energetic tour guide, Segal whipped around corners and waltzed through classrooms -- a computer-assisted drafting lab, a music room with a brand-new piano, a home economics room with nearly a dozen kitchens -- "And look at this -- the washer and dryer have been delivered on time!"

Last spring administrators contacted student leaders at the middle schools and let them select a mascot and team colors -- the blue, black and silver jaguar was painted on the cafeteria wall on Wednesday.

"There are so many things you would never think of," Segal said. "How about copy machines and paper cutters? The fact that we have them is an accomplishment."

Segal has been a teacher and administrator for more than 20 years and last year was vice principal at Cheyenne High School.

"But let's not talk about me. Let's talk about computers. Every classroom will have Internet access," she said while fishing for the key to the school's theater.

"Isn't this fabulous in here? It's like a community college's theater. That's the electrician up there working on the stage. He's almost finished."

Everywhere the colorful touch of educators was mixed with the final touch of subcontractors: In the theater, a sign that says "I will feel proud of my work as an actor" was adjacent to a construction check list.

Custodians in the locker room were giving a final cleaning to the special sections reserved for varsity players. Varsity teams will have to be fielded from the seniorless student body, but Segal is not dismayed.

"See that trophy case?"

It is 20 feet tall, shiny and empty.

"We'll fill it up, just give us time." After a long summer's work, she said, the school is ready for students to make it their own.

"This has definitely been a challenge," she said. "But I'm deeply honored to have been given this assignment. I'm very excited. We've got a great team here. How many administrators are lucky enough to start their own high school?"

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