2 Las Vegas charter schools no longer considering merger

Two Las Vegas charter schools, TEACH Las Vegas and Sage Collegiate, are no longer considering a merger. Following operational turmoil this fall at TEACH Las Vegas, the schools were previously having conversations but hadn’t made a decision. “The TEACH Las Vegas board chair has decided to try to continue operating as their own singular campus, and we wish them well in their efforts,” said Sandra Kinne, lead founder and executive director of Sage Collegiate, in a Friday email to the Las Vegas Review Journal.

Kinne — who’s also a member of the Nevada State Public Charter School Authority’s board — wrote that as an educator, her priority is always what’s in students’ best interest and what meets their immediate and long term needs. “I hope that the TEACH team can find solutions to their many current challenges,” she wrote.

“Our team looks forward to supporting the work of charters and public school educators in the region as best we can and will continue to focus on our campus and our school’s mission, student achievement, and growth.” TEACH officials didn’t respond to a request for comment by deadline Tuesday.

TEACH Las Vegas, which opened in 2021 on North Rancho Drive, is part of a Los Angeles based charter school network. It has about 240 elementary and middle school students. Officials at TEACH Las Vegas presented an update on school operations in December to the state charter authority board. The charter authority plans to bring a formal list of circumstances that TEACH Las Vegas must remedy to a future meeting.

Authority officials said the situation at the school has stabilized since October, when the campus temporarily closed for a couple of days after its executive director resigned. Police also were called to respond to disturbances on campus, and many employees and students left the school. ‘Everywhere we turn is a dead end’ The state issued a formal tax delinquency complaint in October because the school owed more than $320,000 in public employee retirement contributions.

School officials told the charter authority board last month that a portion of the balance was paid. But the current status is unclear. Charlene Domschot started at TEACH Las Vegas in July as a kindergarten teacher and left this fall amid the operational issues at the school. Domschot said that a Public Employees’ Retirement System account was not opened for herself and two other new teachers.

“The sad thing is that we have the least amount owed to us compared to the other teachers,” she said earlier this month, noting it’s about $1,600 apiece. Domschot said that she and a coworker filed a police report but were essentially told by a detective there was nothing they could do. She said she has contacted others too, including the TEACH charter network — which hasn’t responded to her — and the state.

“Everywhere we turn is a dead end.” Domschot later added: “It’s the lack of communication and the concern it’s going to be forgotten.” Contact Julie Wootton Greener at jgreener@reviewjournal.com . Follow @julieswootton on X..