Editorial: A new school year holds few surprises

Nevada's booming economy is admired by other states, but one of the side effects has been the strain the increased population places on accommodating new students, whether it is finding enough teachers or building plenty of schools. It doesn't promise to get better soon: The U.S. Department of Education estimates that Nevada will lead the nation with a 77 percent increase in high school graduates over the next 10 years.

Trying to meet this growth and house so many new students has proven particularly formidable in Clark County, which is leading the state's population explosion and anticipates 12,460 new students this year. Last year in the rush to open eight new schools some of them barely opened on time as work was done round the clock to meet building codes; one elementary school didn't open on the first day because inspectors found unfinished welding.

Every first day will see some glitches. But unlike 1998 all the eight new schools opened on time this year. School officials learned from last year's mistakes, making this year's opening smoother. While one day doesn't make for a year, it is hoped Monday was a good omen for the upcoming year in the nation's eighth-largest school district.

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