No reason for valley children to suffer

Jon McGill, Henderson

Sunday, June 8, 2008 | 2:04 a.m.

I read the Las Vegas Sun’s Tuesday article about Whitney Elementary School and the many students who are homeless or in difficult situations. I was horrified to learn of the dire straits in which many students find themselves.

An editorial in Thursday’s Sun, “An untenable situation,” expresses very well the outrage that we should all feel. We have a state rich in resources in a nation that for all its current troubles basks in relative comfort compared with much of the rest of the world.

That we could let this happen to our youngsters is more than a shame; it is a stigma on our reputation and it should be addressed. I head a private school in Henderson and I know that we could offer some form of school partnership to Whitney that might alleviate just a little the sense of isolation and abandonment those children must feel.

Whitney Principal Sherrie Gahn should know that we would be more than ready to assist, and I am certain that others in the community will do the same. In the absence of state intervention and care, we have to bridge that gap.

The writer is headmaster of the Henderson International School.