Schools

The Lake Tahoe Unified School District will be holding a public hearing Tuesday on how to spend an estimated $2,159,294 in LCAP funding. They want parents to participate in the decision making and have invited everyone to the June 9 School Board meeting to encourage participation.

For over 20 years, students at South Tahoe High have been enjoying a safe and sober Grad Night. Committed parents and community members have been working hard to create a "never to forget" and "once in a lifetime: experience for all STHS graduates.

On the afternoon of June 5, the seniors will be walking down the school's football field during graduation ceremonies. That night, they'll be celebrating at Heavenly's California lodge with games, food, fun, a hypnotist, dancing and more until the early hours of the morning of the 6th.

A self-described "forever learner," Beth Delacour won't be saying goodbye to schools once she retires as the South Tahoe Middle School Principal next month. "I like to learn," she said.

After 32 years working in the Lake Tahoe Unified School District, Delacour is looking forward to having breakfast with her girlfriends, cooking dinner for her husband ("He's been so supportive"), and enjoying her grandchildren (the fourth one is just one week old). But don't look for her to be just relaxing for long.

Enjoying a nice, quiet and boring life is what Dennis Sarosik is looking forward to after wrapping up his 34 year career with the Lake Tahoe Unified School District next month. "I'm going to make every day a Saturday and a Sunday," Sarosik said.

When asked what he'd like to be remembered for, Sarosik quickly answered. "My signature experience was working with Yvonne Larson on bringing Sports Medicine to the school." He said that seeing the new department function as it is today is "beyond cool."

Students interested in being on the South Tahoe High Cheer or Dance teams will be starting with clincis on Monday, May 25.

Here is the schedule and other needed information:

Mon 05/25 – First Timers Clinic Cheer Sound Stage 3pm-5pm (will be moved to Gold Gym if not enough space on Sound Stage)
Tues 05/26 – Prep Clinic Cheer & Dance Gold Gym 3pm – 5pm
Wed 05/27 – Prep Clinic Cheer & Dance Gold Gold Gym 3pm – 5pm
Thurs 05/28 – Prep Clinic Cheer & Dance Gold Gold Gym 3pm – 5pm
Fri 05/29 - OFF

Whittell High School in Zephyr Cove is ranked as the third best high school in the state of Nevada according to a report released by U.S. News & World Report. Their scores rated them "above average" in college readiness, mathematics and reading while their student to teacher ratio is below average (14 students per 1 teacher).

Out of the top ten public, magnet and private schools in the state, seven are in Northern Nevada.

View complete list of Nevada's top schools here.

With only 400 yearbooks purchased at South Tahoe High School last year, new Principal Chad Houck wanted to change that fact.

"The yearbook is a timeless record of each year at the high school," Houck said in a letter to parents. " It is a symbol of belonging to something good and important. It is also one of the traditions that students end their year with and can set the excitement for the next school year."

The annual Celebration of Education hosted by the Lake Tahoe Educational Foundation will take place on Wednesday, May 13 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at South Tahoe Middle School.

Last year's Foundation grant recipients will be displaying their projects through words, photos, videos and live performances.

This event will be taking place outside the elementary and middle school concert that will be taking place at STMS during the evening.

Families, students and the public are invited to stop by and enjoy the grant recipient's presentations.

Light refreshments will be served.

Whittell High School's varsity baseball team will be defending their 2014 Nevada State Title this week as they head to the 2015 NIAA Division IV Tournament in Las Vegas.

The Warriors went 2-1 this weekend's Northern Nevada playoffs, getting wins over Wells and Mineral County.

The boys from the South Shore will enter the State Tournament as the number two seed from the north. Virginia City is number one.

Here is the State Tournament schedule:

Thursday, May 14, 2015 @ Durango High School (Las Vegas)

Game 1 – PAHRANAGAT VALLEY (#1 Southern) vs. WHITTELL (#2 Northern),

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today reported California’s cohort graduation rate climbed for the fifth year in a row in 2014 to a record high, with the biggest jump taking place among English learners.

Among students who started high school in 2010-11, 80.8 percent graduated with their class in 2014, up 0.4 of a percentage point from the year before. The California graduation rate has increased substantially since the class of 2010 posted a 74.7 percent rate.

The students at South Tahoe High produce a weekly television show. This week's episode includes the famous Russian Roulegg, a creative Senior Project, an interview with Sports Medicine Director Isaiah Tannaci, and an incredible time-lapse video of Yosemite by Junior Cameron Daniels and Senior AJ Marino.

It’s been nearly four years since I moved to South Lake Tahoe and became president of Lake Tahoe Community College. When I first arrived, I heard an earful from community members who were upset about the loss of the Good Neighbor Policy (GNP). This policy was established by the Nevada System of Higher Education in 1988. It made it possible for Basin students living on the Nevada side to attend LTCC at California resident rates.

Editorial Note: This opinion piece was originally published in the LA Times.

The Lake Tahoe Community College and Lake Tahoe Unified School District Boards of Trustees will hold a joint meeting on Tuesday, March 24.

During the meeting, two people from the Los Rios Community College will provide an overview of "Get Focused, Stay Focused!" a career and educational course that LTUSD officials hope to bring to South Tahoe High next year.

South Tahoe High graduate Jerod Haase's University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB) basketball team has the first upset of March Madness!

No. 14 seed UAB shocked No. 3 Iowa State, 60-59. ISU was considered by many people to be a potential sleeper to advance to the Final Four. Typically one of the most exciting and most efficient offensive teams in the country, ISU could not pull away as it missed easy shots near the rim and beyond the arc.

Lake Tahoe Community College recently received the highest level of accreditation possible from the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC). That puts the college in great standing until its next comprehensive accreditation review in October 2017.

When Sue Novasel won November's El Dorado County Supervisorial race it left a vacant seat on the Lake Tahoe Untiifed School Board (LTUSD). A Notice of Vacancy was filed, encouraging locals to apply to fill the trustee position for the remaining 22 months of Novasel's term. At Tuesday's LTUSD School Board meeting, the opening was filled.

Lake Tahoe Unified School District has been chosen to be one of 12 school districts in the state to be featured in the Larry King hosted show on FOX Business Network. In View.

Superintendent Dr. Tarwater was contacted by the show's Senior Producer about the opportunity to be part of the educational television program. The show will be a special edition, half-hour program focusing on the state of education.

Lake Tahoe Community College was one of 36 community colleges in California to apply for a chance to offer baccalaureate degrees, just as 20 other states currently offer. The 15 colleges that will be part of the inaugural program were announced Tuesday, and LTCC was not among them.

What a great opportunity for young people in South Lake Tahoe! All kids in 2nd grade through 8th grade are invited to participate in the first ever STHS Dance Team camp on Saturday, January 24. After spending the day learning routines from the varsity Dance Team, attendees will be performing during a halftime show during the Viking varsity basketball against rival Truckee High.

Camp will start at 10 a.m. All participants will get a performance t-shirt and lunch. The cost is $35 per dancer. All proceeds go to support the Dance Team.

It's been four years since the plans were first started but the end is now in sight for the installation of new bleachers at South Tahoe High.

A bid was awarded during Tuesday's Lake Tahoe Unified School Board meeting to the Southern Bleacher Company of Texas to remove the 49-year old home side stands and install new ones that are ADA compliant and satisfy the snow loads and safety features required by the state.

2015/16 LTUSD Kindergarten Enrollment - The Lake Tahoe Environmental Science Magnet School (LTESMS) in Meyers is now taking names for the Fall ‘15 “line-up” of kindergartners. If you have a child who will be turning 5 on or before September 1st, 2015, please come to the Magnet School office (1095 East San Bernardino Ave.) to fill out a lottery application. The lottery will be held on April 1, 2015.

Enrollment at the Magnet School is NOT on a first-come, first-served basis, so you may submit the application any time before the end of March.

Lake Tahoe Unified School District is looking for a community member to fill a vacancy on the School Board of Education.

The vacancy was created after Trustee Sue Novasel resigned so she could begin a four year term on the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors after winning a seat in November's election.

The person joining the board must reside in Trustee Area #1 which is shown as a photos in this story.

It's not everyday that you see a high school coach reach the milestone of 700 coaching victories, but Whittell High School's Phil Bryant has done just that. The dual varsity basketball and football coach, Bryant led his basketball team to a win on December 11, making it the 700th time teams he was coaching had a victory.

Since that date, the Warriors have posted wins against Mammoth 72-44, Lee Vining 75-37, Loyalton 74-47, Pyramid Lake 50-46 and Coleville 73-22, bringing Bryant's victory count up to 705.