Maurice Perkins, associate superintendent for the Clark County School District, gave a quarterly update to the Mesquite City Council on June 24 covering graduation rates, coursework access, attendance and discipline.

Perkins said Virgin Valley High School’s graduation rate rose from 80% to 91.6% over the past year, the highest growth among municipalities in the district. He also said graduation rates for students eligible for special education improved by 15.4 percentage points, and that middle-school participation in advanced coursework increased by 27.6% compared with two years earlier.

At the same time Perkins said chronic absenteeism rose from 21.6% to 24.2% in the first semester of the 2024–25 school year and affected all student groups. He also reported that suspensions have more than doubled in the last two years, with noticeable increases among students eligible for special education, English-language learners and Hispanic/Latino students. Perkins said discretionary expulsions remain very low (fewer than 10 students within any subgroup).

Perkins reminded the council that on Nov. 25, 2024 the district received a compliance notice related to providing timely and accurate information for school plans of operation and that the district is working with a compliance monitor appointed by the Nevada Department of Education. He said the district is implementing a process improvement plan and providing updates to the board of school trustees.

Perkins closed with a list of celebrations from Virgin Valley-area schools, including student awards, extracurricular achievements and the Virgin Valley High School boys volleyball team winning a state championship.