Superintendent Jesus Jara attends a CCSD School Board of Trustees meeting at the Clark County School District Education Center Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021.
Friday, March 25, 2022 | 8:15 a.m.
Desert Oasis High School student Jalissa Oberlay said she used to think her school was safe. So she was in disbelief when Desert Oasis went into back-to-back hard lockdowns earlier this month over campus violence — a rumor of an armed student one day, a series of brawls the next.
Oberlay now begs the adults in charge at the Clark County School District to make her feel secure again.
“Safe is no longer a word we can use to describe our schools. Why should I be filled with fear every time I hear the crackle of the intercom, hoping I won't ever have to hear the words ‘lockdown in progress’ again?” she asked the School Board on Thursday. “Why should I have to text my parents I love them from underneath the desk? Why should we have to comfort each other in the darkness of closets, the floors of classrooms, the corners of lunchrooms?”
Trustees and administrators had no immediate answer for her, as school safety wasn’t on their agenda for the evening.
Any member of the public could talk about it during the general comment period, though, and they did. Many were connected to Desert Oasis, which has weathered several high-profile incidents that have drawn police to the southwest valley campus this month.
Parent Cherish Morgan said unrest and lockdowns aren’t unique to the school. She put the blame on district administration, which she said doesn’t train and support school-level staff to appropriately discipline problem students.
Diane Iuliucci, a Desert Oasis parent and a teacher at another district school, said “discipline in schools is more than just lacking, it’s almost nonexistent.”
“Everyone is done with constant discussions and no actions,” she said.
At a meeting the day before of the School Board officers — where the agenda did include school safety — board clerk Lola Brooks similarly assessed the trustees’ tendency to send issues into “a loop where we are having a lot of conversations and we don't really move toward action.”
“We know there’s a problem and we need to be moving with urgency, and the board isn't designed to move with urgency,” she said.
The trustees then tossed around ideas on community outreach that could be held in April and May, including forums in English and Spanish and a presentation to be aired on the district-owned Vegas PBS television station.
Superintendent Jesus Jara said at the Wednesday meeting that he has met with principals at all grade levels and planned to meet next with the facilities department, which could advise him on certain security measures like the feasibility of limiting entry points onto campuses. He told trustees he should have more information for the public next week.
Jara also plans to hold a town hall with students on Thursday.
The independent Nevada PTA also plans to host a safety forum, with CCSD Police Chief Mike Blackeye among other staff and student panelists, on Tuesday.
Marie Neisess, president of the CCSD teachers’ union, said teachers aren’t trained in de-escalation techniques, and schools inconsistently follow district policies and procedures for reporting incidents and asking for help with unruly students.
Citing teachers’ contracts, Neisess said “a teacher will not be required to perform any duty or act which threatens that teacher or students’ physical safety or wellbeing.”
She also wants change now.
“The violence on campuses continues to escalate,” Neisess said. “We need immediate interventions before a tragedy occurs.”
