Mt Charleston student status still uncertain after CCSD board’s “no” vote.

By Hillary Davis (contact)

Thursday, June 27, 2024 | 23:27

The Clark County School District board took no action Thursday night on a proposal to permanently close storm-damaged Mount Charleston Elementary School.

It came after a separate vote to reject and accept the closure failed, with more than 20 people passionately defending the tiny Lundy Primary School.

Functionally, nothing has changed for Mount Charleston families whose young children were transferred to Indian Springs Elementary School for almost the entire last school year after Tropical Storm Hilary damaged the campus last August. Children who would have attended Lundy will still be bused to Indian Springs, about 40 miles each way, when school resumes in a few weeks, unless they choose another option, such as homeschooling or transferring to another school.

Interim Superintendent Brenda Larsen-Mitchell said the school is not safe to hold classes.

“We could potentially look at where kids could go (this) August, because even if we rebuild or fix it up, it’s not going to be ready in August. So we could look at potential options for where kids could go in August and potentially explore other options, I’ve heard guidance from the board,” she said.

District staff recommended permanently closing Lundy School, estimating it would cost between $5.5 million and $6.5 million to renovate and reopen the two-room school, which serves about a dozen students during the 2022-2023 school year.

Engineers who inspected the property after the storm detailed a 10-foot-deep crater in the parking lot that they said threatened the school’s foundation and destroyed a septic tank. According to the engineers’ report, the roaring floodwaters also bypassed the existing drainage system and created a new ditch that had to be built to accommodate new water flow patterns; undermined a concrete slab that supported large propane tanks used to heat the building; washed away a 3,000-pound air conditioner; washed away a small, closet-like exterior addition that stored a furnace; and penetrated the main building and damaged the floor.

After paying the deductible, CCSD received a check from its insurer for just over $1 million, according to insurance documents obtained by The Sun through a public records request.

Parents and supporters, dressed in green and wearing large buttons reading “Keep Lundy Open,” said tonight that Lundy, which has served Mount Charleston since the mid-1960s, is part of the fabric of the small rural community and provides a rare opportunity for students to receive individual comments from teachers. Many people also told how the long bus rides to Indian Springs – where Lundy’s students always finished middle and high school – were stressful for their young children, depriving them of sleep and often forcing them to watch older students misbehave on trips that last more than an hour in one page.

While supporters haven’t received a clear answer about Lundy’s future, that means they haven’t seen the school closing permanently either.

Both votes — to close or not — failed by a margin of 4-3. School board member Irene Bustamante-Adams voted “no” on both counts.

She said the district is between “a rock and a difficult place.” She didn’t want the district to spend millions of dollars to repair and reopen for such a small number of students, but wants to work with other stakeholders, such as state and local governments, to find a “creative solution.” This could include applying for grants or selling real estate, she added.

“I don’t think recommending closing the school is the answer,” she said. “That’s why I’m still struggling. Why can’t we have those conversations?”

It was unclear if or when the topic would be revisited.