Letters to the editor

Working together is the best way to ensure success at high school

Recent events surrounding the rebuild of Boulder City High School have me asking one question. Can’t we all just get along?

I have a unique perspective on this issue as the wife of a Clark County School District teacher, the daughter of two former CCSD teachers, the mother of four children who have or will attend BCHS, and a member of the original committee formed in 2006 to provide input into the pending rebuild of BCHS.

I would like to give some background on our committee experience. CCSD formed the committee in 2006 to solicit community and staff involvement. The committee members were invited to participate by the principals of our four schools.

There was involvement by some principals on various levels, but teachers were missing. We asked if teacher input should be sought but were told administrative representation was sufficient. That being said, we set out with the best intentions of representing views of all interested parties including students, parents and teachers.

Our first request was to renovate the existing school, but we were turned down. The cost to bring our aging school up to current standards was prohibitive. Our next goal was to have the new school feel much like the old school: open campus, larger classrooms with windows, etc. Unfortunately our requests were not addressed in the initial rendering provided by the architect.

We pushed back and were told that they would revise the plan and address our concerns. At this point the funding dried up and the committee meetings were discontinued.

We now stand at a point where the funding has been restored. Our choice is clear. We need to work together to build the best school possible for students and teachers in Boulder City. Let’s use this as an opportunity to show our children how we can overcome differing opinions and work together for a common goal: to provide a safe and secure school where the dedicated staff at BCHS can continue to provide a quality education for our children.

Kim Bailey