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Westside School Marker

 

Information from the marker:

From 1904 until 1923, children from McWilliams' Townsite crossed the railroad tracks to get to school in Clark's Townsite. This dangerous situation lasted until the Las Vegas School District built this two-room school on land in the new Valley View addition, adjoining McWilliams' Townsite on the east. 

The school quickly expanded with two more rooms in 1928 when news of the construction of Hoover Dam brought families from the south searching for work. A kindergarten was added in 1938, and in 1942 a small building from the Civilian Conservation Corps camp was moved to the site to house third and fourth grades. Fifth grade was added in 1947. Finally, in 1948, a concrete block addition with eight classrooms was built next to the original school building to house sixth, seventh and eighth grades. In May 1949, twenty-seven students graduated in the first eighth grade commencement class.

New neighborhoods and schools to serve them came quickly in the 1950s. The Westside School, was phased out for school use in 1967, and became city property in 1974. Shortly thereafter, the city leased the building to the Economic Opportunity Board (EOB) as a community center and radio station.

Information from brochure:

From 1904 until 1923, children from McWilliams’ Townsite crossed the railroad tracks to get to school in Clark’s Townsite. This lasted until the Las Vegas School District built this two-room school. The addition to the west was added in 1949, but was eventually phased out for school use in 1967. It now serves as community radio station KCEP. The building is listed on the city, state and National Register of Historic Places. The first school in West Las Vegas opened with two rooms and two teachers for four grades.