At the Las Vegas Academy, the landscaping on the side of Frazier Hall was just recently changed from grass to desert landscaping. The school has also begun working on the rest of the landscaping throughout campus.
“I think the change is genius, even though it initially costs a lot of money. But in the long run, it will reduce water usage and make up for the money that was spent in the first place. Plus it helps with the environment, which I think is awesome,” says LVA senior Sabrina Lowe.
“We’re a desert state, so it only makes sense to embrace our natural beauty,” Lowe continues.
Another reason why desert landscaping may be better in the long run is that so much water ends up being wasted when the sprinklers go on to water grass and plants. Cheyenne High School senior Carrie Cruz has seen firsthand the consequences of over watering in grass landscapes.
“Every morning there is a puddle of wasted water on dead grass that simply accumulates and just creates mud,” Cruz says of her school.
“A desert landscape is something that Cheyenne needs to invest in more so that [those problems don’t accumulate]. They have added little desert ‘islands’ in the parking lot, but other than that Cheyenne could use more desert landscaping. Anything that can save water is a benefit, especially in a desert,” says Cruz.
However, these changes can also bring disadvantages to students. Grassy areas give students places to eat lunch and hang out with friends. They also provide recreation with a small soccer or football game during breaks. Having outdoor lunch areas reduces the traffic and noise in school cafeterias as well.
Although LVA has a smaller population than other schools in the county, the cafeteria is still not large enough to fit every student. The school has only one lunch. If all 1,600 students were to eat in one place at the same time, it could provide problems for those who need the lunch hour to finish homework or study for a test.
According to PublicSchoolReview. com, Cheyenne High School, Silverado High School and Bonanza High School all have well over 2,000 students. Las Vegas High School has over 3,300. With numbers like that, students have to find other places to eat their lunch if they want to be as comfortable as possible. If a small school like LVA cannot hold all its students in its average-sized cafeteria, other schools are likely to be having even greater problems.
Although having a grassy area is nice and soft on the eyes, students as well as teachers may have to make a few sacrifices if they want to be able to afford alternative solutions to crowded lunch areas. An outdoor plaza for students to eat lunch could also reduce the traffic in cafeterias.
Cruz also suggests some alternatives to eating in grassy areas that still allow students to enjoy eating outdoors.
“Perhaps it would better to create benches with shading, whether it be artificial or real. Perhaps more trees that use less water would be a nice change than patches of grass. At my school we mostly stay in the shade or under our big tree rather than going inside,” Cruz says.
LVA senior Yesenia Garcia has been eating outside on the grass for almost all of her high school years. She believes the grass provides a great place to enjoy lunch with her friends, particularly during the springtime.
“I do enjoy eating outside, especially when the weather is perfect. But if it means saving water and money, then I see no reason not to change the grass to something that will conserve water,” Garcia says.
So even though grass is beautiful, fun and relaxing, desert landscaping could possibly become the new fad when it comes to choosing the outdoor design of Clark County schools. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the change will be an eyesore. Designs are constantly being made to be pleasing to the eye, and school administrators are taking into accounts the needs of their students. The future could hold a very different but all around smart approach to decorating and conserving in the schools.