LAS VEGAS (AP) — Nevada lawmakers are kicking off an effort to divide the giant Clark County School District into several smaller precincts.
Nine legislators from southern Nevada met Monday as part of the Advisory Committee to Develop a Plan to Reorganize the Clark County School District. Lawmakers passed a bill this spring, AB394, that called for the advisory committee as well as a more diverse technical committee to work on the task.
The district is the fifth largest in the country, with more than 320,000 students. Proponents of the measure say smaller precincts will help Las Vegas-area schools be more responsive to the needs of students and parents.
Critics fear dividing the district would create racial and economic disparities.
Lawmakers must develop a reorganization plan by Jan. 1, 2017.