[Curious G]

Hello everyone,

I know I should be reading before asking, but I've been reading, and yet - needing to ask!!!

I am considering moving to Nevada (Las Vegas area plus Henderson) with two school/pre-school aged children next summer. One of them is a high achieving, very serious about school, straight A*gifted student*who will be starting 5th grade in a couple of weeks. To him it is very important to move into a school that meets at least what he has to deal with right now, if not higher demands. I am completely new to the NV area, as a state of mind, if you would. Like I said, I am considering moving next summer probably, and after reading, and reading, and reading, I seem to be getting more confused than getting a clearer idea of the schools there. I've been looking into Henderson area. I noticed the Coral Academy of Science. It says it's charter, but it also says Alternative K -12. What does alternative mean in Nevada? I know what it means where I currently live. Overall, where could I put a high functioning advanced student to make the transition smooth and as painless as possible. I would also like to know what the options are for a quite bright little sibling who is preschooler. I would like to know if they both can attend one school, meaning K-12. But the sibling is the less of my worries right now. I am focused on placing the future 6th grader in the best possible Las Vegas/Henderson school available. How is the charter school system set there? Is it better to be in charter or public school?
I promise!, I did my homework and went on the Las Vegas school district website, I went to SchoolDigger, I went everywhere I could, but for some reason I could not get a satisfactory idea, so I believe real people with good knowledge might help here, so thank you to who is willing to respond!*
P.S. Spring Valley and W. Tropicana Ave in Las Vegas are good, too.
P.P.S. I posted this under Nevada, but got no replies, hopefully here someone would respond, thanks a bunch!

[08grad]

Coral is fine. They have much smaller classes than what you'll find at the nearby middle schools. The student body is significantly smaller, your child isn't just a number. In addition to a smaller student body, they have smaller class sizes. Being a charter school, they get to filter out students through the application process. They also have more than double the amount of Asian students (24%) than the local middle schools (Miller - 10%, Webb 11%).

However, test scores are no different than local middle schools. My opinion is that because they don't pay their teachers well, they don't attract teachers away from CCSD which negatively effects the quality of instruction.

SBAC (English 6)
Del Webb 70.0% proficient
Bob Miller 69.1% proficient
Coral 67.4% proficient

SBAC (Math 6)
Coral 65.2% proficient
Del Webb 57.1% proficient
Bob Miller 49.4% proficient

[FML157]

I would stick with a CCSD magnet school (there's elementary and middle school magnet schools); enrollment is through an application and lottery (if necessary).

These schools receive additional funding , have specialized programs and seem to produce better results . Also, these schools attract like minded parents who put more effort in to their children's learning and therefore the classrooms have less 'problematic kids' . On the downside, these schools are usually in less attractive neighborhoods and there is no guarantee you'll get in.

[Curious G]

Thank you for the detailed responses, 08grad and FML157! I do appreciate that!
Does anyone know what is with the many campuses of Coral Academy? Does that mean that an elementary student is located in Las Vegas and Middle schooler in Henderson? I want to be prepared when I make *the* phone call to the administration. I am getting confusing information on their website.
Also, what is the difference between magnet and charter school in Nevada terms? Plus alternative for that matter. Not all magnets and alternatives where I live now have good reputation. Is it backwards in NV?
Thanks again, a lot!

[08grad]

Originally Posted by Curious G

Thank you for the detailed responses, 08grad and FML157! I do appreciate that!
Does anyone know what is with the many campuses of Coral Academy? Does that mean that an elementary student is located in Las Vegas and Middle schooler in Henderson? I want to be prepared when I make *the* phone call to the administration. I am getting confusing information on their website.
Also, what is the difference between magnet and charter school in Nevada terms? Plus alternative for that matter. Not all magnets and alternatives where I live now have good reputation. Is it backwards in NV?
Thanks again, a lot!

The K-2 campus is at 215 and Windmill, and the 3-5 campus is at Windmill and Green Valley Pkwy. The middle and high school campus are at Sandy Ridge and Sunridge Heights

Magnet schools are programs within CCSD that have allocate space based on a lottery. Most programs are housed in very low performing schools, although there's a few good ones. I'd recommend Hyde Park's magnet program, but that's a good 30 minute drive from Henderson in the morning.

Charter schools are non-affiliated with CCSD.

[Curious G]

Thank you for the wealth of information, 08grad. I do appreciate it!
Currently my child is in a full time advanced /gifted program, which means it's full day classes designed for high achieving students, they do not pull them out of regular classrom couple of hours a day to work with them. From what I've read in the welcoming threads up here, and somewhere on the school board web site, it seems GATE is not exactly the same, it's more of a few hours inclusion during the day. It seems like the child would need extra curricula activities to keep up with the challenging environment he is used to. But the post up there is from 2009. I wonder if things have changed in 8 years and if there is a school that can provide full time challenging classes for a middle schooler. You don't have to answer, you already took a lot of your time and attention to me, I am grateful for that. I am just wondering and lost, lol.

[lvmensch]

Originally Posted by Curious G

Thank you for the wealth of information, 08grad. I do appreciate it!
Currently my child is in a full time advanced /gifted program, which means it's full day classes designed for high achieving students, they do not pull them out of regular classrom couple of hours a day to work with them. From what I've read in the welcoming threads up here, and somewhere on the school board web site, it seems GATE is not exactly the same, it's more of a few hours inclusion during the day. It seems like the child would need extra curricula activities to keep up with the challenging environment he is used to. But the post up there is from 2009. I wonder if things have changed in 8 years and if there is a school that can provide full time challenging classes for a middle schooler. You don't have to answer, you already took a lot of your time and attention to me, I am grateful for that. I am just wondering and lost, lol.

If the kid is really good you may want to work the fringes like Hyde Park. That is a whole set up that feeds the magnet high school at Clark. Heavy Asian group but that is where the action is if you have a smart kid. Note that the Clark magnet is becoming the major high achiever education environment in LV. Taking on the kids at Meadows who have all that money can buy.

If that does not work than Webb or Miller and there are a couple more. Coral may work if the kid fits.

[Curious G]

What does it mean if the kid fits? Based on portfolio and scores or just application, or what really? Like I said, things are a little different where we are, I have no clue, although I sensed Webb could be good too. Working with Asian group would be something I would like to see, child wouldn't mind at all, that's inspiring. But the population is not an issue. It's the curriculum and teacher's dedication I am concerned about. And....needles to say, million of thanks! If we cross paths, I owe you all one already

[lvmensch]

Originally Posted by Curious G

What does it mean if the kid fits? Based on portfolio and scores or just application, or what really? Like I said, things are a little different where we are, I have no clue, although I sensed Webb could be good too. Working with Asian group would be something I would like to see, child wouldn't mind at all, that's inspiring. But the population is not an issue. It's the curriculum and teacher's dedication I am concerned about. And....needles to say, million of thanks! If we cross paths, I owe you all one already

08grad may be better to comment than I but Coral has a cult thing about it. May be good if you fit and bad if you don't. Contact them and decide. Note that all these good schools tend to do that. My mother was President of the PTA at Bronx High School of Science when my sister went there. And that too was a cult. And I think you will find the participants at Hyde Park and Clark hang tight together. Perhaps inherent in this sort of process.

[ny2lv]

My kids go to Coral, starting 6th and 9th grade shortly.
Somebody mentioned that they filter students through the application process. No they don't, it's a lottery, which opens in January. My son got lucky, got in while we were still in NY, so he started 7th grade there right after we moved. My daughter went to a zoned public school where she was in a gate class, then as a sibling she was on top of the wait list. Some grades have no available spots at all.

It's a great school, not crowded, have not experienced bullying if that's a concern. My kids love it! I don't know anything about magnet schools, they might offer more for high achieving students.

The Pre-K-2 campus is on Tamarus, the Windmill campus is for 3-5 grades and 6+ everything is on Sandy Ridge. Your kids will be apart for a good while. Yes, same school, but not really. However these campuses are not that far from each other. We're glad to drive to only one starting this school year, but morning traffic was not horrible between the two.