North Las Vegas advisory committee hears two charter school applications; no decisions taken

The North Las Vegas Education Advisory Committee on June 9, 2025 heard presentations from two charter school applicants — Purpose Leadership Academy and Nevada Early College and Career Academy — and received public testimony for both proposals, but did not vote on either application.

Purpose Leadership Academy founder Leon Draisroy, the proposed chancellor, described a K–8 model focused on “elevat[ing], educate[ing], and inspir[ing] African American and Hispanic male students” through project-based learning, restorative “pride circles,” social-emotional learning and partnerships with outside providers. Draisroy said the school aims to serve neighborhoods in North Las Vegas and emphasized small-group, data-driven instruction and targeted supports for students who are behind academically.

The committee also heard from Nathan Atkins, the proposed board chair for Nevada Early College and Career Academy (NECA Academy), and Amy Sparrow, the proposed operations director. They presented a high-school dual-enrollment model that, they said, combines college coursework and workforce pathways, partners with local higher-education institutions and offers supports for low-income students, students with disabilities and students in foster care.

Clark County School District (CCSD) staff raised concerns during public comment. Dan Tafoya, director of the Office of School Choice for CCSD, told the committee that both applications “failed to meet key criteria outlined in Nevada Revised Statutes 388.220, subsection 6,” and that the applicants had previously been denied by the State Public Charter School Authority. Tafoya also said the proposed service areas are not experiencing overcrowding and that Purpose Leadership Academy’s proposed site does not meet a statutory requirement, as described by CCSD, that a city-sponsored charter be located within the city’s limits. “The school appears to be shopping authorizers without resolving these core deficiencies,” Tafoya said.

Supporters at the meeting included educators, community advocates and nonprofit partners. Tamara Shear, chief executive officer of Opportunity180, said her organization has supported the development of Purpose Leadership Academy and pledged philanthropic support, saying Opportunity180 “will include a philanthropic grant of up to $160,000” to aid the school and that philanthropic support could scale if the applicant receives additional competitive grant funding. Tom Nichols, representing CSMC Charter School Management Company, described back-office services his firm would provide, including use of Intacct accounting software, monthly cash-flow monitoring and alignment with the SPCSA financial framework.

Representatives of foster-care and youth-service organizations spoke in favor of NECA Academy’s model. Anya Earle, executive director of Specialized Alternatives for Families and Youth of Nevada, said NECA’s personalized plans and flexible scheduling would help foster youth “get on track, stay on track, and succeed.” Several parents and students spoke in support of Purpose Leadership Academy, saying the model would better meet local cultural and academic needs.

The committee’s staff provided no substantive recommendation at the meeting. The agenda item for the two charter applications was listed for “discussion only”; committee members did not take a formal vote on either application at the June 9 meeting. The meeting did include a procedural vote to approve the meeting agenda earlier in the session.

The presentations and public testimony indicate competing views about the applications’ readiness and local need: applicants and supporters emphasized community engagement, curricular models and partnerships, while CCSD flagged prior denials by the state authorizer and statutory and enrollment concerns. The committee did not set a timeline or direct staff to take a specific next step during the meeting.

Materials submitted and referenced at the meeting included application documents, letters of support and a staff packet provided by city staff. The committee chair closed the public forum and adjourned the special meeting after public testimony concluded.