Las Vegas NowTeachers and Staff Prepare for First School Day

Teachers and Staff Prepare for First School Day

With less than a week before the school year begins, the Clark County School District is busy getting ready. Enrollment for the school year is project to be 304,000.

So far more than 1,100 new teachers have been hired, which is down from over 2,000 hired last year. There are still 680 teaching vacancies, including special education positions. But district officials say most of those positions will not be filled until they get a better idea of how accurate their enrollment projections are.

Meanwhile, teachers at hundreds of campuses across the valley are setting up their classrooms and preparing lessons. Reedom Elementary is one of seven brand new schools opening for the 2008-2009 school year. Like all of the new campuses, Reedom was the scene of a flurry of activity all day Wednesday.

Teachers and staff unloaded thousands of boxes of books, school supplies, furniture and computer equipment. They only started moving in last week.

At Mrs. Nisperos' third grade classroom, she was putting her finishing touches on her decor. This is the first time in her six year teaching career that she has ever taught at a new school.

Reedom has registered more than 630 students in the fast growing southwest area that serves near the Mountains Edge master planned community. It will relieve overcrowding at nearby Wright Elementary, which had 1,400 students attending there last year.

Because it is such a fast growing area, Reedom will be a year round school from the start which will allow it to accommodate new students.

But with the valley's current economic conditions, school district officials cannot say with any degree of certainty that the number of students projected to attend Clark County schools will actually materialize.

Altogether, seven brand new schools and three replacements were built for the upcoming year. They are O'Roarke Elementary, Scott Elementary, Reedom Elementary, McCaw Elementary, Taylor Elementary, Williams Elementary, Roy Martin Middle, East CTA High, Virtual High and Desert Oasis High. Virtual High is still under construction, it will open as scheduled in February.

"They're finishing up the punch list, things like this carpets crooked, this area needs to be painted still, this door won't close, you know, everything you'd experience and more if you were moving into a new house," said Principal Douglas Wilson.

CCSD officials say all but one school, Scott Elementary in North Las Vegas, will be ready to open their doors to students on Monday. Students from Scott will start class in September on a modified track five schedule.

Staff members from all the new campuses are rushing to get those finishing touches done in time for the first bell.

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