Student safety is in the spotlight ahead of the start of the Clark County School District's summer break.
Channel 13 reporters spent Tuesday talking to parents, students and community leaders about what issues are top of mind to keep kids safe on the streets this summer. Here's what you need to know:
School zone flashers will stay on throughout the summer, even without school in session.
As Channel 13's northwest Las Vegas reporter Guy Tannenbaum learned, it's part of the effort to keep roads safe around schools year-round. The decision was made by the School Traffic Safety Working Group in response to more than 400 students being hit by cars this school year.
"We're coming up with new ideas to curb a lot of this, and because we have more summer programs going on now than we historically have in the past, so the push from the county is to have them on," said Lt. Bryan Zink, spokesperson for the CCSD Police Department.
Also important to note — a new state school zone safety law takes effect on July 1. That law will double fines for speeding, illegal U-turns and other traffic violations in school zones. So, what do parents think about it?
"I love it!" said Cheryl Madsen, who lives near Centennial High School. Madsen says she hopes keeping the flashers active will slow drivers down, but she also has her doubts.
"But if they don't have police out here once in a while, those flashers aren't going to do anything, because people are going to know school is not on," she said.
What's being done to keep school campuses safe?
According to district records, at least 18 handguns were recovered on school property during the 2025-26 school year — down from 22 in the 2024-25 school year.
For years, CCSD has used random weapons screenings at middle and high school campuses. Just last school year, the district introduced newer weapons detection systems at some athletic events and at some schools during arrival times.
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CCSD has also expanded the use of wearable panic buttons for staff, which connect directly to dispatch and school police during emergencies. (You might remember, this initiative was prompted by the violent assault of a teacher at Eldorado High School in 2022.)
CCSD said 83.9% of students reported feeling safe in school during its most recent districtwide survey. The goal is to get that number to 95% by 2031.
The district adds that it is investing $144 million to secure school buildings "as we continue to evaluate each school campus for safety measures aligning with best practices." The evaluation looks at these areas of possible improvement:
- Augmenting security cameras
- Ensuring a single point of entry to the school building
- Ensuring that areas where students move and interact, such as common areas and pathways to portable buildings, are fenced off.
Superintendent Jhone Ebert says the goal is to make campuses safer while still making students and families feel comfortable.
"It's a balance. We want to hold both of them at the same time — welcoming environments and making sure our schools are safe," Ebert said.
A heightened focus on e-bike and e-scooter safety on our roads will extend into the summer months, as well.
The City of North Las Vegas is also taking note of the number of kids that have been hit by cars this year and could soon join other local municipalities in implementing its own e-bike regulations.
Seventy-three kids have been hit by cars in school zones in North Las Vegas, and about 28 of those collisions involved e-bikes or e-scooters. Police tell us it's about 50-50 between whether the student or the driver is at fault.
At Wednesday's city council meeting, North Las Vegas leaders are expected to vote on regulations that include:
- Not allowing electric bikes or scooters on sidewalks, trails, parking lots, or in parks
- Requiring minors to wear a helmet while operating an e-bike or e-scooter
- Prohibiting reckless driving on e-devices
- Requiring e-bike and e-scooter riders to follow standard traffic laws while on the roads.
People who break these rules could have their devices impounded and face a fine.
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Do you have thoughts about school safety or any of these issues? We want to hear from you. Let us know what you think by filling out the form at ktnv.com/letstalk.
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