LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Students and staff at Von Tobel Middle School are getting a major upgrade, leaving behind a building that has stood since 1965 for a new campus that school leaders say is compatible with modern times.
Friday marks the last day students will walk through the doors of the old campus.
WATCH | Shellye Leggett got a look at the new campus ahead of the next school year:
Principal Leonardo Amador, who has led the school for nine years, said the old campus created many challenges for its more than 900 students. The building has 48 classrooms, many of which he said are cramped and awkwardly shaped, with no windows and poor ventilation.
"It is what this community needed. It is what our kids deserve," Amador said.
"This is one of the classrooms that we had to convert into a makeshift conference room," Amador said.
"It's very difficult to try to get natural light in these buildings because of the construction that was done back in the '60s and '70s when these were being erected," Amador said.
The old building also has a leaking roof, old plumbing, and safety and accessibility issues.
Jonathan Bullock, a history teacher at Von Tobel for nearly eight years, said he has learned to adapt and roll with the punches.
"We're teaching over 100 students throughout the day. You know, I'm still expected to come and do my job, so I would just keep my faith and stay strong and, you know, continue to think about the goals pushing forward," Bullock said.
The new campus is just a few blocks away. Amador said design and construction took two years.
"The design was built with safety at the forefront as well as enhancing the instruction that happens in the classrooms and the open space, brand new floors, brand new ceilings," Amador said.
"I was very excited, very excited to move on," Bullock said.
Amador said the new campus is exactly what the community needs and what his students deserve.
"To give our kids and our teachers and our staff a brand new building where those are the things that we have to worry about the least and really focus on the instruction is just the next step for taking our kids to the next level," Amador said.
Amador said the new campus is move-in ready and will host some summer programs this year. The official grand opening will happen on the first day of school for the 2026-2027 school year.
As for the old campus building just down the road, the Clark County School District confirms no plans have been solidified yet.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
