Pahrump primed for first charter school
After several years of concerted effort and a refusal to give up, the community members behind the push to establish Pahrump’s first-ever charter school were thrilled to announce that they have finally secured authorization to launch Pahrump Valley Academy (PVA).
“When we got word that we were authorized, it was the best Christmas present ever,” PVA board member Kay LaPointe enthused. “For us, as well as Pahrump parents and Pahrump kids.”
A concept born from the mind of longtime educator Dr. Sable Marandi, Pahrump Valley Academy’s aim is to provide students with a high-quality, college-preparatory-forward curriculum and a more personalized educational experience. Gathering a team of people with vast experiences and varying backgrounds, Marandi started the pursuit of PVA in 2019. The team submitted applications that year, as well as several others in the following years, each of which had met with rejection.
Marandi and her team did not allow this to deter them, however, and they sought approval again this year, finally achieving the result they have been seeking. As of December 2025, the Nevada State Public Charter School Authority has officially given the green light to PVA, with its first school year set to begin in August 2026.
The 2026-2027 school term at PVA will include kindergarten through fifth grade, with two classes per grade level, except for fifth grade, which will have just one class. “And that is done purposefully. We plan to nurture our fifth-graders, especially, to lead the rest of the school,” Marandi explained. “Then, every year after that, we will add a grade level. As we approach seventh, we will seek authorization to expand.”
It is important to note that charter schools are public schools that are funded in the same manner as any other public school; through the state’s per-pupil allotment. Therefore, PVA will have no tuition fees. The primary difference between a traditional public school and a charter school is the leadership, with charters having their own board of directors rather than falling under the board for the school district in which they reside.
The PVA board is made up of seven members, including LaPointe, Michelle Caird, Dr. Tom Waters, Tynia Dickson, Tim Burke, Jonathan Nelson of JK Nelson Law and Dr. Maria Jerinic of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Marandi, who holds the role of executive director for PVA, and several of the board members met with the Pahrump Valley Times on Friday, Dec. 26 to discuss the authorization and it was clear they were all eager for the school’s opening to come.
“I have no children, I have no grandchildren, but I understand the importance of a good education for our children – and for our community also,” Caird, the newest of the PVA board members, told the Times. “If you can provide great education options for children, professionals will come live here, because then their children will be getting a good education.”
“Yes, now they’ll have more choices,” LaPointe concurred.
Waters, who was the first to join the PVA team, has direct experience in education, having spent part of his career in that sector. Within the vision of PVA, he said he sees a real opportunity to make a positive impact not just in Pahrump but all throughout Nye County.
“When we’re talking about PVA and college-preparatory schooling, this is something that is really one of my passions, as well as Sable’s. This is something we need,” Waters declared. “I think, too, that by having a charter school here, it’s going to bring the other schools up. So, Nye County is going to benefit from this.”
“Within every community, the more educators and educational systems you have, the more you know that education is a significant cause,” Marandi added. “I think the fact that we are coming here speaks to how important Pahrump deems education.”
It’s been a long time coming for PVA, which Marandi initially dreamed of seven years ago and though it has taken years to get to the point of authorization, she feels the team is all the more ready for that fact.
“And we are so grateful to all of the systems in Nevada that support a charter application to the point of authorization,” Marandi remarked. “We will find those future members of the greater human community who will make significant contributions. We have to make sure they have the resources and tools they need to meet their full potential and more, we need to make sure they know they do. That’s what it means to support them, to help them reach their goals. We want to help every student understand their own learning style, we want to help every student figure out what they want in life. And we want to impart in them that as PVA students, they set the bar and they set it high.”
The PVA website is currently undergoing a rebuild and will relaunch in January. For more information on the PVA charter school application, visit CharterSchools.NV.gov and view the charter school authority’s Dec. 12, 2025 agenda.
Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com
