INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – Children gathered excitedly as they headed to the buses just outside of Incline Middle School. They seemed eager to start their weekly Exploratory classes as Principal Dan Lediard greeted his students with a fist bump. For a group of 6th and 7th graders, today’s destination: Pet Network Humane Society.
The Exploratory classes, originally dubbed “teacher passion projects” by Lediard’s predecessor, Carrie McDonald, were first introduced as a means to get students back into school after COVID-19.
According to a Nevada Department of Education report, as of the 2022-2023 school year, chronic absenteeism in the silver state reached 34.9%.
“I applaud [McDonald] so much for starting this. First, she changed the bell schedule, which requires approval from the district, but then she tasked teachers with bringing their own passion projects, like their hobbies and interests, into the school and showing the students,” Lediard said…