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Las Vegas Schools Report
Clark County Magnet High School - Las Vegas Academy
As you can imagine, at MS Las Vegas Real Estate we get lots of questions from clients about Clark County Schools. You can find a wealth of information on our website at the page entitled Las Vegas Schools Info. We would like to begin a series of stories that will introduce readers to the seven outstanding magnet high schools available to fortunate and well-prepared students in Southern Nevada.
The Clark County School District offers great magnet school options for motivated and focused high school students. One high school, geared toward the Performing and Visual arts, is the Las Vegas Academy of International Studies, Performing, and Visual Arts, otherwise known as LVA. LVA is a high school where students can major in a specific field such as Theatre, Technical Theatre, Dance, Choir, Orchestra, Band, Broadcast Journalism, Photography, or International Studies (i.e. the languages of Spanish, Japanese, German, French, etc.). In order to attend LVA, students must present a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 in addition to acceptance by means of a competitive audition process. Each major field of study has their own separate audition process and selection criteria.
The Las Vegas Academy campus is located in the middle of Downtown Las Vegas, centered around the old Las Vegas High School building. Las Vegas High School was originally built in 1930 and served as one of the main high schools in Las Vegas until 1986, when the school moved to a new building. The original building was designated as a Nevada Historical Landmark and sat empty until 1993 when the school district decided to create the Las Vegas Academy. The building was thoroughly renovated and the Las Vegas Academy Magnet High School was born. Now home to 1,200 students, this historical landmark serves as a creative beacon for many of Las Vegas' most talented young student-artists. The campus spans three city blocks, from the corner of S. 7th Street and Bridger, to 10th and Clark, making it the largest high school campus in Clark County. LVA has recently grown yet again by adding two new buildings to the campus. The Las Vegas Academy Theatre department added a $16.1 million state-of-the-art theatre, while the Visual Arts Department built a brand new Visual Arts Center.
The Academy has received a plethora of awards for their outstanding programs. The Music Department has received a Grammy from the American Signature School Award for excellence in music for three years in a row. In 2000, the U.S. Department of Education recognized LVA as a New American High School. In 2002, the U.S. Department of Education honored the Academy as a U.S. Blue Ribbon School, making it one of only 17 high schools nationwide to have received both prestigious awards. The Las Vegas Academy Theatre Department has been recognized as one of the most prestigious amateur theatre programs in the nation.
The Las Vegas Academy offers students an "intellectually challenging learning experience" and empowers them with the "skills and knowledge to compete successfully in the International workplace." Sixty percent of LVA graduating seniors enroll in four-year colleges and universities each year and another ten percent enter junior colleges for a grand total of seventy percent post-graduate enrollment at the college level.
In thinking about potential relocation to Southern Nevada and the purchase of a new Las Vegas home, we urge you to consider that today's Las Vegas is a well-rounded metropolis that offers outstanding educational opportunities at every level.
