Pioneer Academy to become CHS alternative campus

Pioneer Academy students will continue attending their school under organizational plans that would change it from an alternative school to an off-site, alternative campus of Carson High School next school year, district officials said this week.

Administrators have been meeting with students, families and staff members to announce the restructure due to declining enrollment and regional development needs. Superintendent Andrew Feuling presented the item before the school board Tuesday.

“Strategically, in the long run, we have to look for options that allow us to reduce structural costs while maintaining services we provide,” Feuling said Tuesday.

The impetus for the restructuring, according to Feuling, relates to the district’s declining enrollment. Fewer students is intricately tied to a loss of revenue supporting school services. Carson City has gone from an enrollment of about 8,500 students to this year’s total of about 7,200. The district expects about 7,000 students for 2024-25.

“If we’re losing about 800 kids (within these few years), that’s $8 million we lose over time,” Feuling said.

Under the proposed changes, Carson High assumes responsibility for students, staff and activities at Pioneer. The principal’s position at Pioneer will be vacated by Jason Zona, who has accepted a district-level job. To maintain an administrator overseeing Pioneer’s services, a vice principal equivalent would be designated. The administrator would report to Carson High Principal Dan Carstens for support and to answer questions, Feuling said.

Students become Carson High graduates, regardless of which campus they attend.

The setup allows for the sharing of staff and Pioneer students will see more career and technical education options become available to them.

Feuling and district administrators met with Pioneer families Monday. About 20 family members and students attended.

“This is just a reality of trying to think long term,” he said. “The reality is since 1970, the number of people graduating in education majors has dropped by 50%. The long running concern is making sure we have staff that can keep providing the same level of service to students at all our sites.”

Pioneer freshman Natalie Duenas, who had concerns about the school’s reputation and relationship to Carson High, came to learn how she and her peers might be affected. She said Monday’s conversation helped to overcome her initial skepticism.

“At first, I didn’t know much about what was happening, but I felt this conversation has shown it’s not as terrible as I thought it would be and that it’s going to happen anyway whether we like it or not,” she said.

Carson High School Principal Dan Carstens told Pioneer families Monday while he had not expected this change to occur, he had told staff the move is “all about kids winning.”

“That’s the only competition,” he said. “Are we going to come in here and make sweeping changes? It’s a change in name administratively right now and not necessarily a ton of changes. If you’ve seen what I did at Carson High when I started last year, I didn’t make a ton of changes because I didn’t know them very well.”

Administrators also addressed concerns about students’ diplomas, with many noting that students would prefer a Pioneer diploma after devoting their academic and extracurricular hours there.

Adam Brendel said his daughter chose Pioneer because she would receive more personal attention from her teachers but added it’s important on the students’ part to be able to work with their teachers or future employers or anyone when they leave high school.

“(The diploma) is just a piece of paper, whether it’s the Panthers or Carson High School,” he said. “Me, I’m looking out for (my daughter’s) interests. Some of you guys don’t want to be associated with Carson High School, and that’s fine. But this is to keep the kids’ interest in mind and with assistance from the parents.”

Board members Tuesday asked whether there would still be two graduations and planned activities for both schools. Fuson said that would be up to staff and students.

“I would just ask that the students are involved in those decisions,” Trustee Molly Walt said.

Walt also asked about any fiscal cost to making any changes. Fuson said there would actually be a reduction since Pioneer Academy would no longer have a principal.

The item Tuesday was for discussion only.

Zona provided a statement to the Appeal, praising Pioneer’s commitment to its students in all circumstances and thanked staff and district board members for their contributions to the school.