New school bells to ring in Summerlin

When the 2004-05 school year opens Monday, Aug. 30, so will two new public schools in Summerlin: the John and Judy Goolsby Elementary School in Ridgebrook and the Linda Givens Elementary School in The Vistas village. The schools' combined enrollment will be nearly 1,000 pupils.

Both institutions are part of the Clark County School District and are considered high-performance, sustainable structures. They are designed and built to conserve energy through increased natural lighting, motion sensors that turn off lights in unoccupied rooms, energy control and monitoring systems, and tighter construction.

The Goolsby school is named for John L. Goolsby, former president of The Howard Hughes Corp., developer of Summerlin, and his wife. Ridgebrook is a mini-village that is already home to four neighborhoods and a park. It is situated near Interstate 215 and West Desert Inn Road.

Goolsby Principal Trudi Abell said the curriculum will be based upon the accelerated school model with emphasis on science and technology, and that the establishment of a laboratory with exhibits and virtual sites will be a priority.

The Givens School is named for a school district educator. The Vistas, which has a substantial student population, is located west of the interstate and north of Charleston Boulevard.

Givens Principal Jeremy Hauser said his school has the distinction of being the second two-story institution within the district. It was built into the sloping topography, and includes an amphitheater for performances and outdoor learning. The curriculum will focus on literacy and core fundamentals.

Education is a cornerstone of Summerlin, according to Larry Brocato, executive vice president of Hughes Corp.

"From the beginning, we recognized the importance of schools as keepers of the community's heart and soul," Brocato said. "Schools are not only places of learning for our children, they unite residents and create a social bond within the community. We continue to work with Clark County School District and private school operators to ensure that the educational needs of the community remain a top priority."

Goolsby and Givens bring the total number of schools in Summerlin to 19, 10 of which are public.

Summerlin ranked as the nation's best-selling master-planned community for much of the last decade, according to independent surveys. It aligns the western edge of the Las Vegas Valley and comprises villages. Summerlin is home to parks, trails, houses of worship, shopping centers, medical facilities, cultural facilities and business parks.

Nearly 120 model homes showcase the available single-family homes, townhomes and condominiums. Residences are priced from the mid-$300,000s to more than $2 million. Custom-home sites in The Ridges village are priced from the $500,000s. Monthly rent for apartments starts from the $800s.

For more information, visit www.reviewjournal.com/real estate and click on the Summerlin link.

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