Good morning, and welcome to the Indy Education newsletter. I’m Rocio Hernandez, The Nevada Independent’s K-12 education reporter. 

This newsletter provides a recap of the latest education stories and highlights interesting educators, students, programs and other events and resources throughout the state. Click here to subscribe to the newsletter and receive it each week via email.
I want to hear from you! Send questions, comments or suggestions on what I should be covering to [email protected].

News briefs

🔨 Elko County School Board accepts bid for new Owyhee school — The Elko County School Board voted 5-2 last week to accept a $63 million bid from a Utah-based contractor to build a long-anticipated K-12 school that serves a tribal community near the Nevada-Idaho border. The school district moved to build the new school after the state Legislature appropriated $64.5 million for the project after hearing about the “unacceptable” conditions at the 70-year-old campus from some staff, students and tribal members. 

“We've done everything we've can to get this thing going and get this ready for us,” said Brian Mason, chairman of the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of Duck Valley Indian Reservation. “This is our dream. Please vote accordingly.” 

The school district hit a roadblock after no companies placed bids for the project last August, and with building costs estimated to exceed the appropriated amount. This prompted the district to trim down the project and remove aspects such as a new football and track field to get it under budget. 

Board President Matt McCarty and Trustee Brooke Ballard said they had reservations about the bid coming too close to the state funding, but Superintendent Clayton Anderson said they have assurances that the contractor won’t increase project costs. 

“There is no escalation clause in the contract,” he said. “So the base bid is the base bid.”

Sen. Ira Hansen (R-Sparks) also urged the board to move the project forward before construction costs go up. 

🔎 Clark County School Board sets up interview dates for superintendent candidates — The board is picking up its superintendent search from where it left off last year after pausing because of turnover among its seven elected trustees. Applications for the position closed last Wednesday. The board will be presented with a slate of applicants Feb. 18 and conduct interviews with select candidates Feb. 24 and 25, and afterward select the candidates who will move forward.

The second round interviews and a town hall is expected to take place March 10 and 11. The board expects to deliberate and vote on semifinalists after the March interviews.

School Spotlight

Dual language program teaching kindergarten students how to be resilient 

As a child, Paola Zepher felt embarrassed to speak Spanish. Now an elementary school principal, she said she doesn’t want any of her students to feel that way. 

About 70 percent of the students who attend Robert E. Lake Elementary School in East Las Vegas are Hispanic; 36 percent are English language learners and 6 percent are new to the country. 

Her students inspired Zepher to start a dual language immersion program at Lake Elementary School. It’s the second elementary school within the Clark County School District to offer such a program. 

Lake Elementary launched its program this school year with two dual language kindergarten classes with a total of 42 students and plans to expand it as that cohort advances to the next grade. Zepher said the program is geared toward students who are learning English and for students who want to learn Spanish. 

By the time they leave the program, Zepher said the students will not only be able to speak in Spanish, they’ll also be able to read and write in Spanish. 

Parents of students who aren’t zoned for the school can apply for a change of school assignment so they can still attend, though transportation won’t be provided. 

“It really is for any kid who wants to be bilingual and biliterate,” Zepher said. 

Each class takes turns spending one day with their Spanish teacher and one day with their English teacher. Students who are struggling get additional help from aides as well as their classmates. 

Zepher said the classes allow native English speakers and native Spanish students to each have a time to shine in their dominant language. 

“These kids get that special time where they are experts one day and then they know this day I’ve got to push through,” Zepher said. “So it teaches them resilience, but it also teaches them to be that support for their friends when they need it.” 

Liliana Herrejon, who teaches the Spanish kindergarten class, said she’s enjoyed seeing students' confidence in both languages grow throughout the school year. She said she can tell her native English speakers are working hard and practicing Spanish at home with their families. 

“We have a student who took a state test … and we gave it to them in English and we gave them to them in Spanish, and when he took the Spanish version, he was so excited that he understood the questions and that he understood what was being asked,” she said. 

Since the program started this school year, Zepher said she’s seen a shift in her school’s culture, with students who are not in the program excited to tell her that they also speak Spanish and seeing it as an asset. 

“For me, that’s the biggest joy,” she said. “They’re proud of who they are, they’re proud of their language and if that’s what they leave with, we’ve done our jobs.” 

Have a student or staffer who we should feature in the next edition of School Spotlight? Share your nominations with me at [email protected].

Reading Assignments

Experts say tax revamp needed to fund schools. State leaders don’t want to touch it.

A panel of experts created by the Legislature itself recently reupped recommendations it’s been making for several years — reduce property tax breaks and expand the sales tax base. But there’s little evidence that Nevada leaders have the political will to alter the only two revenue sources large enough to move the needle on education funding. 

How Lombardo’s office eliminated its budget deficit

The budget amendments included changing the $140 million in funding to continue state-funded pre-K from an ongoing expenditure to a one-time appropriation.

Extra Credit

Las Vegas Sun: Bill aims to revive fund to help Nevada's rural districts replace or repair crumbling schools

Carson Now: Douglas County School District is being sued — again

Events

🍎 Washoe County School Board meeting — Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2 p.m. 

The agenda includes a midyear evaluation of Superintendent Joe Ernst’s performance. 

🍎 Clark County School Board meeting — Thursday, Feb. 13, 5 p.m. 

The agenda includes reports on student chronic absenteeism and how the district spent its federal COVID relief dollars. 

Featured social media post 

❤️ How heartwarming!