The Nevada Independent

Your state. Your news. Your voice.

The Nevada Independent

Commissioners, education officials tangled in debate: Should school grounds be open for public use?

Jackie Valley
Jackie Valley
EducationGovernment
SHARE
Students leave Valley High School campus

It’s not uncommon for custodians at Robison Middle School to encounter glass bottles and trash littering the campus each morning, triggering a clean-up effort before students arrive.

Community members hop the fence surrounding the school, which sits in northeast Las Vegas, or squeeze their way in through narrow openings, Principal Immer Liza Ravalo said. She understands their desire to gain access: The densely populated neighborhood doesn’t boast many parks, meaning residents seek out the school’s basketball courts, soccer fields and open space for picnics.

“This is their neighborhood, and I’m OK with them using that,” she said. “It’s just the clean-up part of it, and if that can be worked out … that would be great.”

The trash problem is one reason why Clark County school officials have bristled at the notion of allowing community access to schools’ playgrounds, athletic fields, tracks and picnic areas. The debate has surfaced every so often for years, and it did so again earlier this month.

When Clark County School District leaders attended a County Commission meeting in early December, they delivered a report about the ongoing reorganization process. But the conversation turned to the public-access dilemma at Commission Chairman Steve Sisolak’s request.

“I’m going to ask the same question that I ask every year of you,” he said at the Dec. 5 meeting. “I still have a problem with families being locked out of playgrounds and tracks.”

Sisolak said he has fielded complaints recently from senior citizens who can’t access schools’ outdoor tracks because of padlocks on fences barring their entry. The commissioner, who’s running for governor, called the situation a “big problem” — in part because it dissuades community members from wanting to support public education.

“People want to use these facilities, and we should do everything we can to make them available,” he said in a separate interview with The Nevada Independent. “It’s hard to go back to the citizens and ask them for more money for education, which I’m asking — I want more money for education — when they’re telling me, ‘We can’t get on the playground that we have there now.’ That’s tough to answer.”

Clark County Commissioners Marilyn Kirkpatrick, left, and Chris Giunchigliani during a commission meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017. (Jeff Scheid/The Nevada Independent)

The topic fueled fiery commentary from other commissioners as well who lamented the seemingly never-ending debate. Commissioner Marilyn Kirkpatrick said she remembers discussing the issue back in 2003 and several times since then.

“Here’s what I’m saying in the most polite, respectful way,” she said at the meeting. “We’ve been talking about this for so long, it’s ridiculous. We’re not getting anywhere.”

Per commissioners’ request, the school district is assembling a report outlining public access at each school, said Nicole Rourke, who heads the district’s community and government relations department. As it stands now, the decision is largely up to the school principal.

Clark County and the school district entered into a “community use agreement” in 1994, which includes vague language regarding who is allowed to use school grounds: “Each respective school principal will cooperate with the county in the use of his/her district site, buildings and facilities in order to permit the county to develop the fullest possible community access program for the benefit of all citizens.”

Rourke said the district recognizes community members’ desire for more park and play space. The problem lies in maintenance and liability: Staff have found dog poop, trash, drug paraphernalia and used condoms left behind by residents during non-school hours, she said.

“The bottom line is we see the need, but at the same time, we have a limited budget, so we are trying to do the best with the resources we have,” she said.

Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani said the community needs to be more creative in addressing the problem. Perhaps the district could alter fencing around the school, she said, to protect the building but keep play spaces open. The former teacher also suggested forming “neighborhood watch”-like programs for the school grounds. She doesn’t buy the argument that trash is the obstacle.

“That’s always been the excuse,” said Giunchigliani, who’s also running for governor. “If you really want to work around it, you can.”

But will a solution happen this time around? Maybe.

Rourke said the school district may convene an internal work group to discuss the problem and potential solutions. The commission also plans to revisit the topic in late January or early February.

Disclosure: We accept donations from anyone who wishes to support our work. Steve Sisolak has donated $1,000 and Chris Giunchigliani has donated $445 to The Nevada Independent. We disclose all our donors. A complete and updated (and searchable) list of Indy donors and members can be viewed here, any time.

SHARE

Featured Videos

7455 Arroyo Crossing Pkwy Suite 220 Las Vegas, NV 89113
© 2024 THE NEVADA INDEPENDENT
Privacy PolicyRSSContactNewslettersSupport our Work
The Nevada Independent is a project of: Nevada News Bureau, Inc. | Federal Tax ID 27-3192716