Virgin Valley Community Education Advisory Board Meeting - August 21, 2025
Virgin Valley Community Education Advisory Board Meeting - August 21, 2025
The Virgin Valley Community Education Advisory Board (CEAB) met on August 21, 2025, at 5:00 PM in City Hall Council Chambers. The meeting covered principal reports on the start of the school year, a discussion of CEAB grant requests for Hughes Middle School, and updates on community education programs.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the June 26, 2025, meeting minutes and the August 21, 2025, meeting agenda unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Spencer Apple, a Sun City resident, asked about starting pickleball as a club at the high school or middle school. Maurice Perkins (Clark County School District Associate Superintendent) explained that pickleball is not a sanctioned sport and suggested contacting the NIAA for sanctioning, or starting a club at the school site with student interest and a sponsor. Apple was directed to speak with principal Mr. Poole at the high school.
Principals' Reports
- JL Wilson, Hughes Middle School: Reported a great start to the year with enrollment of 549 students (projected 531, funded at 531). The school rewarded 477 out of 530 students who showed growth on SBAC tests with ice cream (canes). 18 freshmen, 10 eighth graders, and 10 seventh graders scored a 4 on both math and ELA. The school switched to a six-period schedule and is fully staffed.
- Matt Bennett, Virgin Valley Elementary: Reported a smooth opening, fully staffed in classrooms but waiting on budget for support staff (enrollment 619 total, funded around 560s). Planned field trips for fifth graders to Zion National Park in September, a speed meet at Wappa Valley High School in October, and a pickleball walking field trip in November. Fire prevention week is scheduled for October 9.
Discussion Items
- CEAB Grant Requests: The board discussed two proposals from Hughes Middle School principal JL Wilson: a "Victory Vault" (arcade room) to incentivize student achievement, and funding for non-sanctioned sports (cross-country and volleyball, total $775). Wilson expressed concern about negative public perception after a previous city council meeting where the Victory Vault was criticized. Board members suggested putting the request on the consent agenda and having students present to the city council for support. The board decided to move forward with the Victory Vault proposal for the September 9 city council meeting, with board members pledging to attend and speak in support.
Board Members Comments & Reports
- Nikki Matter, STEAM Center: Reported 366 students registered in the system, with 136 fourth graders and 80 preschoolers. The STEAM Center had 24 classes this semester and 3,599 visitors in the last six months. Upcoming events include a teacher training on microplastics (September 13) and an American Revolution Experience traveling exhibit (September 22-26).
- Board Representative Needs: Matt Bennett is working to fill high school and elementary school board representative vacancies through SOT elections and outreach.
Key Outcomes
- The board will submit the Victory Vault grant request to the Mesquite City Council on September 9, 2025, at 5:00 PM, placed on the consent agenda. Board members will attend and speak in support.
- The board noted the need for community representatives and will continue recruitment efforts.
Meeting Transcript
All right, we'll go ahead and get started. If you please stand for the follow me in the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. All right, we'll go ahead with agenda item one public comment. If there is any, come on up, give us your name, and you got three minutes. You got nothing. Oh I got nothing. Oh, okay. That's right. Uh my name is Spencer Apple. I live in Sun City, and I play a lot of pickleball. I spoke to Mr. Poole at the high school back in May about bringing pickleball to the high school or even the middle school. So he told me it's not a state sport. It's gonna be done as a club. So my question is how do I do this? And who do I go to to find out how do I get this started in the in the schools? Mr. Perkins. Sorry, right? Wow. Put you on the spot. I would recommend you talk to the CAP and see what they can do. They're playing pickleball back and forth, right? I don't think the middle school school can't do it. Middle school had them for a long time because of the city. They put that uh come out to the gonna get you on the minutes. Okay, Maurice Perkins, uh Clark County School District, school associate superintendent. The middle school did have pickleball courts for quite a while uh with the in a collaboration with the the city of Mesquite. Umce they built the pickleball courts over there. They did play it, they still do, they still have the nets. Um, but it is not a sanctioned sport, and that is not something Clark County School District has any control over. That's uh a matter for the NIAA. So, yeah, if you want to look at sanctioning sports and doing that, I would recommend going to the NIAA to see about it. So if it's a club, is that just up to the school site to figure if they want to have a club for it? They can do after school if there's student interest, and then they have a sponsor, someone that will supervise that club, then they can offer it as a club. Yeah, okay. So it's up to each school. Right. Up to a club, interest if there's interest. If they want to. Okay. All right. Figure out at the high school, I guess, who to talk to. A principal, yeah. Talk to Mr. Wade, I guess, right? Vice principal. But I haven't got a response back.
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