LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – From department store to a middle school, a new charter school is opening up to the Las Vegas Valley inside The Boulevard Mall.
If all goes as planned, in August, the 46,0000 square foot space will house hundreds of middle school students.
The school’s Founder, Mike Taack, says he taught in the Clark County School District for years.
Now, he’s opening up his own middle school called ‘Wylees,’ short for Western Youth Leadership, Engagement and Empowerment.
“I noticed that a question students often had is why do I have to learn this? We wanted to answer that question proactively through our model,” Taack said.
He says they’ll focus on individual, project-based learning, and the building fits that model perfectly.
“We want the students to feel like they’re leaders, it’s in the name of the school, and so why not put them in an environment that feels almost like a college campus?” Taak added.
Taack says the location of the building is ideal, too.
“Our work is largely going to be around community service and civic engagement, and this is a great central hub in Las Vegas,” Taak shared.
Right now they’re making adjustments to the building, like adding a parent drop off loop and an outdoor recreation center to the top of the parking garage.
Taack says they’ll be ready to welcome middle schoolers in no time, like Danielle Norris’s 6th grade son, Isaiah.
“I think number one, he’s like, ‘is there Pokémon,’ because he loves coming to malls and going to little comic stores,” Norris says.
She says she had some security concerns at first, but after hearing Taack’s safety plans, including auto-locking doors and a single point of entry, those concerns were diminished.
“Speaking with them personally and genuinely, I see each of them have such an authentic passion for children,” Norris said.
Taack says they’re recruiting teachers and enrolling students. You can find more information about Wylees here.
Wylees isn’t the only educational institution in The Boulevard Mall, it also houses UEI College and barber school. The mall’s Vice President and General Manager, Timo Kuusela, says this is intentional.
“The really, really luxury shopping centers are doing quite well, but your average neighborhood mall is just unable to keep up with the loss of business to the online market,” Kuusela said.
That’s why they’re exploring different avenues, and Kuusela says they’re excited to welcome Wylees to the building.
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