Category: Education

Former Pecos coach at center of child rape lawsuit indicted on federal charges

Former Pecos coach at center of child rape lawsuit indicted on federal charges

From the Las Vegas Optic A former Pecos High School boys basketball assistant coach has been indicted by a federal grand jury on five counts of using interstate commerce to entice or coerce minor girls into sexual activity. Joshua G. Rico, 25, was arrested Friday and appeared in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque Monday morning…

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Lawsuit alleges Pecos school district ignored child sexual abuses

Lawsuit alleges Pecos school district ignored child sexual abuses

From the Las Vegas Optic A lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court last week accuses the Pecos Independent School District of having a “history of indifference” toward child rape and sexual abuse, and of failing to prevent sexual assaults within the district. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of a minor identified as “Jane Doe,”…

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Invoices show LVCS spends tens of thousands responding to records requests

Invoices show LVCS spends tens of thousands responding to records requests

From the Las Vegas Optic In the six-month period between Oct. 1, 2019, and March 31, 2020, Las Vegas City Schools spent more than $38,000 in legal fees either responding to records requests, researching laws, redacting requests, pushing back against requests and complaints, or responding to the attorney general, according to invoices obtained by the…

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School district resists sharing documents with public, press

School district resists sharing documents with public, press

From the Las Vegas Optic In January 2020, Las Vegas City Schools Superintendent Larryssa Archuleta addressed the Board of Education with concerns about the number of requests for public records citizens and journalists had filed with the district. During that school year, according to Archuleta, the district had received 10 such requests. Archuleta’s concern, she…

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WLVS employee charged with possession of meth

WLVS employee charged with possession of meth

From the Las Vegas Optic A traffic stop resulted in a West Las Vegas Schools employee being arrested on charges of possessing methamphetamine and paraphernalia. Orlando L. Lefebre, 40, of Las Vegas, was arrested Feb. 26 following a traffic stop on Seventh Street in Las Vegas. Lefebre is the program specialist for WLV’s Consolidated Federal…

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Luna board extends interim president’s contract

Luna board extends interim president’s contract

From the Las Vegas Optic The search for a new president continues for Luna Community College, and in the meantime, Dr. Kenneth Patterson will continue to serve as the college’s interim president. The Luna Board of Trustees voted unanimously Friday afternoon to extend Patterson’s contract through June 30, or until “the presidential search is terminated.”…

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In-person learning allowed to resume Feb. 8; local districts unsure of plans

In-person learning allowed to resume Feb. 8; local districts unsure of plans

From the Las Vegas Optic By Phil Scherer and Ryan Lowery Local school districts remain unsure whether they will return to the classroom in early February, following Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s announcement Tuesday that districts would have the option to return to the classroom during her annual State of the State address. Most schools have…

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Pandemic places hold on many educational housing projects

Pandemic places hold on many educational housing projects

From the Idaho Business Review The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we think about nearly everything in our daily lives, and it’s no different for those who design and manage student housing at Idaho’s largest universities. It’s also meant universities are taking on fewer student housing projects. At Boise State University, the most recent…

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WLV Head Start makes adjustments due to pandemic

WLV Head Start makes adjustments due to pandemic

From the Las Vegas Optic West Las Vegas Schools will soon hire two new “co-teachers” for its federally-funded school readiness program Head Start. The Board of Education unanimously approved the hirings during its regular meeting last Thursday. Head Start program managers are also working to train current teachers on the use of Google Meet, a…

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LVCS, former volleyball coach battle over public records law

LVCS, former volleyball coach battle over public records law

From the Las Vegas Optic Las Vegas City Schools has again violated the state’s public records law, according to the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, a nonprofit dedicated to government transparency. The district was chided by the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General in late January for charging illegal fees for access to…

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