Students will not be returning to Johnson Junior High for a third day as Environmental Protection Agency officials continue to investigate a mercury contamination on campus.

There are still some areas in the school -- specifically the gym -- where crews are making sure all traces of mercury are removed. Crews also checked dozens of nearby homes over the weekend.

Cleanup crews were at the school until 9 p.m. Sunday testing for traces of mercury. Clark County School District officials revealed as much as a quarter of a cup of the substance was found on the campus.

A teacher discovered some students playing with the mercury last Wednesday during a school assembly, but district officials say it was likely on the campus prior to that day.

This resulted in a lockdown where students and staff were not allowed to leave the school until early Thursday morning after they had been screened individually by EPA investigators... Read More

The Nevada Board of Education has voted unanimously in favor of a dramatic plan to shift the balance of power from a central office to the more than 300 schools in the Clark County School District.

Proponents of the reorganization plan approved Thursday say it's important for Nevada to act boldly, arguing the status quo hasn't improved the state's bottom-ranking public school system.

The plan fine-tuned over the past 14 months calls for an "empowerment" model that gives principals and their volunteer boards control over about 80 percent of the money flowing to their schools.

Critics scrutinized the details of the plan, asking whether it will distribute resources equitably. A panel of 12 legislators still must approve the final regulations that passed Thursday. That vote is expected on Sept. 9... Read More

The Advisory Committee unanimously approved the preliminary reorganization plan and 27 revisions for the Clark County School District.

The committee spent numerous hours Tuesday in a meeting trying to figure out how to reorganize CCSD.

Under the proposed plan, each school would be independently run, and instead of the superintendent, the principal, a team of teachers, and parents would be in charge of hiring and budgeting.

There's no concrete answer on exactly how much it will cost to make the transition.

"It will put pressure on the legislature to address inadequate funding for the school system next session," said Michael Roberson,, Nevada State Senator for District 20. "We do need to invest more in education in Southern Nevada."

Some of the amendments also state that parents who join organizational teams won't be protected from lawsuits. Plus, only middle school and high school students will be able to join organizational teams... Read More