New boundaries to shift students at Henderson, NLV middle schools

The Clark County School Board held an approximately 40-minute joint meeting Monday with the Attendance Zone Advisory Commission. School Board trustees unanimously approved nine rezoning recommendations.

It was part of a yearly process where school attendance zone boundaries are adjusted in response to enrollment numbers and other factors.

The attendance commission provides recommendations to the School Board, said Brandon McLaughlin, assistant superintendent of construction.

“By adjusting boundaries … we’re able to better utilize our available seat capacity, which is what the team looks at,” he told trustees.

Eight of the nine changes affect middle schools in Henderson and the North Las Vegas area. Community meetings were held in January to get input.

Maps showing which geographic areas are affected by rezoning are posted online with School Board meeting materials. But information isn’t included about the estimated number of children who could be affected.

Schools affected by rezoning are Basic Academy of International Studies in Henderson, Chaparral High School in Las Vegas, Brown Academy of International Studies in Henderson, Mannion Middle School in Henderson, Burkholder Middle School in Henderson, Greenspun Junior High School in Henderson, Cram Middle School in North Las Vegas, Saville Middle School in Las Vegas, Findlay Middle School in North Las Vegas and Johnston Middle School in North Las Vegas.

Changes are largely a ripple effect of the school district receiving a $15 million grant from the federal Magnet Schools Assistance Program to create two new magnet programs in environmental science, technology, engineering and math next school year at Burkholder and Johnston middle schools.

The attendance boundaries for those two schools are being dissolved.

Current middle schoolers at affected campuses will be allowed to stay. Rezoning changes will apply to incoming sixth graders and newly enrolled students.

High school changes

One zoning change affects high school students — shifting some students from Basic Academy of International Studies to Chaparral High School.

Current ninth through 11th graders will be allowed to stay. Changes will apply to incoming ninth graders and newly enrolled students.

Districtwide, if parents want their child to attend a school outside of their attendance zone, they can apply for what’s called a “change of school assignment,” but only if there’s space available at the campus.

The on-time application deadline was in January for next school year. Late applications will be accepted starting in mid-March.

Families can also apply for magnet programs and a lottery is conducted if there are more applicants than available seats.

The attendance commission reviewed zone boundaries because of “increasing enrollment” at Basic Academy and current growth in the area in the Cadence and Lake Las Vegas master-planned communities, said Tracy Murphy, director of demographics, zoning and GIS.

It is necessary to provide enrollment relief to Basic Academy, and Chaparral has seats available, she said.

Some affected students will travel 7 miles or more to school. But Chaparral is less than 2 miles from many neighborhoods included in the rezoning, “potentially providing a safer route to school,” she said.

Contact Julie Wootton-Greener at jgreener@reviewjournal.com. Follow @julieswootton on X.