MT. CHARLESTON (KTNV) — The power of community — that’s what Katie and Sean Reeh said helped save Mount Charleston’s beloved — and only — elementary school.

We have been following the story of Earl B. Lundy Elementary School for over a year now. The school had been in limbo since late August 2023, when the remnants of Hurricane Hilary swept through Mt. Charleston, damaging the small school.

CCSD leaders have spent much of the last year and a half going back and forth over what to do with the school. At times it seemed like Lundy was doomed.

But last December, in a shocking reversal, the board decided to repair the school after all, this is what Mount Charleston families have been advocating for all along.

1.5 years of uncertainty

The last year and a half has been a rollercoaster for families like the Reehs, who have deep ties to Lundy Elementary School. Their oldest son graduated there, their middle son was a student there when the school suddenly closed last year because of the storm, and their youngest son was supposed to start kindergarten there for the school year 2024-2025.

“There were a lot of ups and downs, mostly downs,” Sean Reeh said.

Like many families in Mt. Charleston, they said they fear CCSD will give up on repairing the school.after the storm, especially given the school’s low enrollment.

These fears were confirmed in May, when the families received a letter from the interim superintendent, saying the district would recommend permanently closing Lundy at a June board meeting, citing high repair costs and the fact that the school served only about a dozen students.

However, the board was never able to make a decision on whether or not to close the school.and after community outcry, the interim superintendent later said the district was no longer considering that option.

Channel 13 was at that board meeting and heard directly from parents. You can watch it here:

Future of Lundy Elementary School still uncertain after CCSD administrators take no action on possible closure

Then, fast forward to August 2024, when the district presented two new ideas: either repair the school or consider adding classrooms to the Mount Charleston Library, so Lundy Elementary School could live in another building.

At an August board work session, trustees voted against repairing the building and decided to explore the option of a library, but Mt. Charleston parents were not on board. satisfied. They wanted Lundy back, to its original building, which they believed was much more than a school; it served as a gathering place for community events.

“We definitely felt like this was going to be the end,” Sean Reeh said.

This sense of hopelessness was exacerbated by the fact that the former administrator representing this area during much of this debacle was Katie Williams, who vocally supported efforts to close the school, not fix it.

She resigned in September after an investigation carried out by The Clark County prosecutor determined that she did not live in the area she represented – or even in the state of Nevada..

WATCH what Williams said about the allegations related to his resignation:

CCSD Trustee Katie Williams Resigns Amid Allegations She Really Lives in Nebraska

But the tide turned for this community at the end of October, when the the school board appointed Nakia Jackson-Hale as acting administrator for the remainder of Williams’ term before newly elected administrator Lydia Dominguez takes office in the new year.

Jackson-Hale’s tenure as acting administrator lasted just over a month, but in that short time, the families of Mt. Charleston said she had a huge impact.

“When I was sworn in on October 30, I said I was going to get to work. So the first weekend after being sworn in, I took a trip with my husband to Lundy to the first time, then I was able to go up a second time and meet with the voters,” Jackson-Hale said at a school board work meeting in December.

After meeting with staff and constituents and evaluating the information, Jackson-Hale formally asked the school board president to allow the board to reconsider its August decision not to repair the school. According to district policy, within three months of being sworn in, a new board member may request reconsideration of a decision made up to six months prior.

So at the board’s Dec. 4 work meeting, a lengthy discussion took place about Lundy, during which Jackson-Hale raised concerns about potentially inflated repair estimates, among other concerns, including that families felt left in the dark for a period of time. while immediately following the storm.

This led the board president, who had previously voted against repairing the school, to surprisingly make a motion to repair Lundy. This motion was ultimately successful.

“We can’t thank her enough for everything she’s done,” Katie Reeh said of Jackson-Hale.

“It’s important to have people there who listen to you and advocate for you,” echoed Sean Reeh.

“Everyone in Clark County matters…”

Katie and Sean Reeh said they finally feel hopeful and optimistic after the board’s decision to fix Lundy after all. It’s been a long fight, but they’re happy the community hasn’t given up.

“Even though it’s a small school, with few children, there were elderly people and people who didn’t have children here who came to speak out and help us fight to fix things,” Sean Reeh said.

They add that they will certainly now pay close attention to who represents their community.

“I think we just took it for granted that we were represented. If anything, this experience kind of puts a magnifying glass on that and we’re very aware of that seat, that position, and I think that’s a good thing because people should be held accountable,” Katie Reeh said.

They also hope it signals to district leaders that the Mount Charleston community may be small, but it is mighty.

“Everyone in Clark County matters and we do here too, and everyone deserves to have their children go to school within a reasonable distance,” Sean Reeh said.

While we are still figuring out exactly how much the repairs at Lundy will cost and how long it will take, district officials said the project will be fast-tracked, with the goal of allowing the school to reopen next August, or two years later. initially closed.

Although there are calls from the community to expand Lundy to serve more grade levels when it reopens, nothing has been officially decided on that. So that means the Reehs’ second son, whose school year was upended when Lundy closed, will be too old to return to school when it reopens, but their youngest son could start first grade there. .

“We live less than 100 meters from the school, so even when he was 2 or 3 years old, he was standing there, seeing his brothers playing at school and that’s what he looked forward to and always looking forward to it,” said Sean Reeh.

If you’re wondering where Lundy students have been going since the school closed in August 2023, the district initially bused them to Indian Springs Elementary School. Parents said the bus ride often took more than an hour for their young children and they were uncomfortable with the idea of ​​their children traveling to a school so far away. Nearly all of the affected students have since turned to homeschooling or requested a change of schools so they can attend schools closer to the Skye Canyon area.

Anjali Patel spoke to parents worried about their children attending a school so far away. You can watch it here:

Parents concerned as Mount Charleston school remains closed

The families really had no choice but to take things day by day during all of this, with Lundy’s future so uncertain for so long. The Reehs said that was the hardest part.

“It’s been hard, very hard. It’s been the hardest for our children. Every time I talk about news from the school, I have to say: ‘This could change, don’t get your hopes up, we’re not sure.’ ” said Katie Reeh.

“We’re just hoping we can be a little more stable here from now on,” Sean Reeh said. “I really hope that everything we’ve been through as a community has helped some of these people understand that children really are what comes first.”