The Silver Mesa Recreation Center in North Las Vegas, shown Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020, will host a program that offers students live classroom instruction.
Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2020 | 2 a.m.
North Las Vegas families will have another option in educating their children this school year.
With the Clark County School District moving classes exclusively online in reaction to the pandemic, and many North Las Vegas families with technology limitations or parents unable to help their children successfully learn remotely, the city is teaming with a microschool provider for an in-person option for the fall semester.
Southern Nevada Urban Micro Academy, believed to be the first public-private partnership of its kind in Nevada, will operate out of city recreation centers to offer a classroom setting for grades 1-8.
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Students receive live classroom instruction from a teacher tailored to their educational needs, along with enrichment and extracurricular activities — yoga, sports, art — during a highly structured school day, according to the city.
Class sizes are capped at 18 students. The program costs $2 daily (need-based scholarships are available).
North Las Vegas City Councilwoman Pamela Goynes-Brown, a former school administrator who retired in June after 35 years in the district, said the program will help the city’s students from falling further behind because of the pandemic.
“Many of our students do not have the resources needed to be successful during this learn-from-home time,” Goynes-Brown said. “I know that our community has been subject to historic inequalities in so many areas, including education, so it was clear we needed to do something different so that kids in North Las Vegas aren’t left behind.”
The nonprofit academy is hiring teachers and plans to start Aug. 24, the first day of remote learning of the new school year for CCSD. It will exist through the fall semester, if not longer depending on when public schools return to full in-person learning. Students would have to leave the CCSD system.
The program will initially run out of Silver Mesa Recreation Center on Allen Lane and, depending on interest, can expand to six locations. There’s space for up to 360 children, officials say.
“(North Las Vegas) has a laser focus on equity and serving underserved families, and serving them well,” said Don Soifer, president of Nevada Action for School Options, which is teaming with the city as the microschool provider. It recruits and hires teachers, and provides the curriculum.
“We all love to talk about equity, and at the end of the day, we aren’t doing it well if we aren’t doing it right.”
Some families, because of the economic impact of the pandemic, don’t have reliable internet or computers for their children to learn remotely. Others have jobs and can’t be at home to assist in the learning process, especially with younger students. There’s also a language barrier in some households, while other parents are simply uncomfortable helping instruct their children.
“I’m extremely proud of the education plan they have come up with to help our kids in North Las Vegas continue receiving quality education through such a challenging time,” Mayor John Lee said. “If there is a challenge within the corporate boundaries of our community, we do not refer you to other agencies saying ‘it’s not our challenge.’ We will get involved in fixing the challenge with you.”
School paused because of the pandemic in mid-March, meaning some students haven’t been around their peers in five months. Missing the social aspect of learning can take a toll, Goynes-Brown said.
“The kids learn from each other. I think that is extremely important,” she said.
The academy can also accommodate students enrolled in CCSD online programs by providing an educational space and technology for the children to learn remotely. When they aren’t online, the program will offer enrichment and extracurricular activities during the school day, according to the city. That option is $20 daily, although need-based scholarships are available.
The program’s hours are 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. For all students in either track (microschool or CCSD), the city will have before- and after-school care, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., which will include typical Safekey-type activities — sports, arts and crafts, STEAM, games, etc. Breakfast and lunch are also included at no additional charge.
The programs will follow COVID-19 guidelines from the Southern Nevada Health District and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including mandatory face covering, socially distant seating, and frequent cleaning of facilities.
Enroll your child at NLVCares.com or by calling 702-202-3490.
