Henderson council candidates talk education, breaking up CCSD

A Clark County School District bus. (Erik Verduzco/ Las Vegas Review-Journal)Tim Cox (Courtesy of Tim Cox)Melissa Woodbury (Courtesy of Melissa Woodbury)Ali Nilson (courtesy Ali Nilson)Aaron Johnson, a leader with Boulder City Police Department, just recently finished a 10-week program at the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. (Courtesy of Boulder City)Jim Seebock with his better half, Barbara. (Mark Credico/Las Vegas Review-Journal)Eddie Hamilton (Mark Credico/Las Vegas Review-Journal)Alex Kleytman at Henderson City Hall on Aug. 24, 2022. (James Schaeffer/Las Vegas Review-Journal).
Ahead of the early ballot beginning Tuesday for Henderson's Ward 1 City Council election, prospects talked about enhancing the city's schools, with much of the focus on desiring Henderson to have its own school district.

Six of the seven candidates contending to represent Ward 1 on Henderson's City Council stated they support the city getting its own school district.

Candidates differed based on whether their focus lies on simply Henderson breaking away from the Clark County School District or whether the current school district should be broken up completely.

Candidates Melissa Woodbury, Jim Seebock, Ali Nilson and Aaron Johnson stated the school district needs to separate to best fulfill the requirements of its communities.

" No. 1, the Clark County School District has gotten method too huge," Woodbury said. We require smaller sized school districts across the board here in Clark County, so that each neighborhood can focus on its specific requirements.".

Eddie Hamilton stated he is just thinking about Henderson breaking from the Clark County School District, not whether the school district breaks up completely.

Alex Kleytman didn't specify whether he 'd choose to see the Clark County School District break up completely or just for Henderson to break away and form its own school district. He stated he just didn't wish to continue funding the school district, which he called a "great void" for public money.

Tim Cox is the only candidate in the race who does not support Henderson breaking away from the school district, calling it a "misguided, however well-intentioned position.".

Cox stated a break up of the current school district might work to improve education, however just if all the communities included interact to make it take place. He also stated any separation also should ensure that different school districts are not disproportionately moneyed based upon location.

Limitations.

If chosen, prospects would be limited in what they can do relating to education, specifically in breaking away from the Clark County School District after an effort to break up the district stopped working to qualify for the Legislature last year.

Johnson stated council members can still "lobby all day long" for changes in education, an idea echoed by Woodbury and Nilson. Hamilton stated he would support an advisory tally concern for citizens to voice their support for the idea.

Beyond talks of breaking up the school district, Cox stated that working with education service districts might help support the school district by handling obligations "that do not make sense" for the school district itself to deal with. His previous elected experience was on an education service district.

Kleytman and Nilson stated instructors require more support for education to improve in Henderson.

Nilson stated she wishes to see "discipline to come back" in policies that would allow schools to better discipline trainees based on behavior and for policies that would enable schools to ultimately choose what academic material is being used for their students.

Kleytman stated teachers require to be supported by having safer working environments at school and not having to take on duties outside of their task description, which is something he stated occurred throughout the pandemic.

Hamilton said he wants to change a few of the general public schools' curriculum to "take ideology out" except for the ideology present within the U.S. Constitution.

Early voting in Henderson's Ward 1 unique election opened Tuesday and will close on Thursday. Election day for the special election will be held next Monday. All in-person ballot and ballot drop-offs will be held at Henderson City Hall.

Because of a tally procedure passed last year, only homeowners of Henderson's Ward 1 are eligible to vote in the special election.

Contact Mark Credico at mcredico@reviewjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @MarkCredicoII.