Principals look back at school year

Another public-school year has come and gone with students and faculty preparing to enjoy summer.

But soon enough the next school year will begin.

The principals of the four public schools took a moment to reflect on this school year and plans as they look toward the next.

Amy Wagner, Boulder City High School

As we close the books on the 2024–2025 school year, Boulder City High School reflects on a year filled with academic growth, school spirit, and student success. From championship wins to standout performances in the arts and academics, our students have continued to make us proud.

The Class of 2025 left a legacy of excellence. Seniors earned acceptance into 37 different colleges, institutes, and universities, were awarded nearly $3 million in scholarships, and received over 200 individual awards. They brought home two state team titles (girls golf, boys swim), five state runner-up finishes, three academic state championships, six individual state titles, and four regional championships.

Our student council was also recognized nationally with the National Gold Council of Excellence and the Silver Star Award.

Looking ahead, we’re excited for what’s to come. Planning for next year includes 21 different electives, 14 dual enrollment courses—including new offerings in Psychology 101 and Sociology 101—and seven Advanced Placement classes. We’re focused on expanding student opportunities while continuing to strengthen school culture and support systems.

We ended the school year with 579 students and are projected to start next year with 634. We do have seats available, and students are still welcome to apply and attend BCHS in the fall.

We’re grateful for the continued support of our families and the Boulder City community—and we’re already looking forward to August.

Melanie Teemant, Garrett Junior High

This year at Garrett JHS was full of positive energy, growth and student achievement, and tons of Bobcat pride! We had determined, resilient, and undefeated athletic teams, award-winning performances from our music departments, and were selected as one of the 2025 Governor’s Designated STEM Schools for the State of Nevada.

We enjoyed many celebrations for the accomplishments of both our students and our staff, and enjoyed every memory of the 2024-2025 school year. Each morning, I tell the students, it’s a great day to be a Bobcat, and I can officially say, it’s been a great year to be a Bobcat.

Schedules are finalized and our STEAM initiatives are expanding, with new STEAM electives like Hydroponics II where we will be designing and building our own greenhouse, additional robotics teams, and opportunities for students to join our 4-H after-school program and engage in clubs and activities. There are additional accelerated courses along with those electives to provide every student a rigorous learning environment. Our staff and students are ready to take it to the next level and continue taking on new challenges and creating opportunities to be the best Bobcat they can be.

We are going to be a Leader in Me School and only one of a few who run the middle school program. We are excited to build on what they did at Mitchell and expand those leadership skills.

We’re currently sitting just under 400 students, and we’re projected close to that next year. We also continue to have COSA (Choice of School) students enroll, and we have seats available for any students who would like to join the Bobcat family in the fall. We are fully staffed, and our class sizes are small, which is a great position to be in for kicking off a new year.

We’re grateful for the constant support of our Boulder City community, parents, and dedicated staff who make Garrett JHS a place to work and learn!

Jason Schrock, Martha P. King Elementary

The 2024–2025 school year at King Elementary ended on a high note as we celebrated the promotion of our fifth graders. The annual Fifth Grade Promotion Ceremony filled the gym at Boulder City High School with proud parents and family members. We are especially grateful to the BCHS staff for helping with setup and organization—reminding us once again that while we may be the King Cobras we are all Eagles.

Immediately following the ceremony, students and families participated in our fifth annual Promotion Parade. This community-wide event honored our second, fifth, and eighth-grade students as they transition from Mitchell to King, King to Garrett, and Garrett to BCHS. This year’s parade featured over 100 entries, including decorated cars, trucks, and even horses. Staff members from all three schools lined the streets to cheer on the students—a moving display of school and community spirit.

Looking ahead to the 2025–2026 school year, we are projected to see a decline in enrollment from 382 to 355 students. As a result, we will lose one teaching position. Sadly, this means we must say goodbye to Ms. Harding, our least senior teacher, who has accepted a position at a middle school in Henderson. Her dedication to her students and our school community will be greatly missed. Additionally, the decrease in enrollment solidified the loss of our school counselor position, which has remained vacant since Mr. Bradshaw’s departure last year.

While these staffing reductions are challenging, we are prepared. The strategic cuts we made this spring have positioned us to navigate the changes ahead. We remain hopeful that two key developments—a potential increase in fall enrollment and additional state funding—may allow us to restore these positions in the future.

Tracy Echeverria, Andrew J. Mitchell Elementary

Mitchell Elementary School finished the year with a goodbye to Ms. Easter, our custodian of 40 years. On the last day, we started a new tradition of giving each of our second-grade students a Mitchell alumni shirt. At dismissal, students, staff, and families applauded them as they left the last time as second graders. It is a tradition that we are looking forward to continuing. It was a great end to a busy week which included field trips to the Boulder City Pool, kindergarten graduation, and the Boulder City Promotion Parade.

We ended the year with 329 students. We are projected to start the next school year with 334 students. We are excited to welcome kindergarten families, new students, and our returning first and second-grade students. We are grateful to the Boulder City community for the support they provide to our school and our students.