North Las Vegas extends ‘micro academy’ through spring semester

North Las Vegas will continue offering its urban micro academy through the spring.

City Council members voted unanimously Wednesday to spend nearly $144,000 to offer the Southern Nevada Urban Micro Academy through the spring semester. The program is operated by Nevada Action for School Options.

North Las Vegas has touted the safety of its micro academy and the academic success of its students. The academy has faced no cases of COVID-19, according to the city.

Last week, Mayor John Lee sent a letter to Clark County School District Superintendent Jesus Jara urging the district to get students back into the classroom.

If the district does not reopen schools by Jan. 15, Lee wants the city to use the district’s bus system and rent unused schools to offer in-person instruction through the micro academy.

If the city can’t use the district’s buildings, Lee wants North Las Vegas to be able to rent desks from CCSD and set them up in other public and private sector buildings.

The school district took a step toward phased reopening Wednesday morning with the announcement of a tentative agreement with the teachers union. The proposed reopening plan is scheduled to go in front of the school board on Jan. 14.

In the best-case scenario, if the plan is approved by the board, the district would likely begin opening schools in February, Jara said Wednesday.

The plan would return prekindergarten through third grade students first. The micro academy serves children from kindergarten through eighth grade.

Contact Blake Apgar at bapgar@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5298. Follow @blakeapgar on Twitter.