School Choice comes to the mall: Las Vegas Charter opens where Macy’s used to be

By Brittany Sheehan  

Nevada News and Views

Think about this for a minute. Your kid could be walking into a shopping mall for school instead of some run-down government building. That’s exactly what’s happening right now in Las Vegas.

From Glory Days to School Days

Here’s the backstory that makes this even more interesting. The Boulevard Mall opened in 1968 as Nevada’s first enclosed, climate-controlled shopping mall. Back then, it was the crown jewel of Las Vegas shopping. The mall became one of the top shopping spots in the Las Vegas Valley, and was popular among tourists because of its close proximity to the Las Vegas Strip.

But like many American malls, Boulevard fell on hard times. The mall was financially successful during the 1970s, but experienced a loss in customers after the 1981 opening of the nearby Fashion Show Mall on the Las Vegas Strip. By the 2000s, major stores like Dillard’s, Macy’s, JCPenney, and Sears had all closed up shop.

A few years ago, the mall “felt like a sinking boat that was on fire,” according to general manager Timo Kuusela.

“Every tenant had an exit strategy. I had an exit strategy. All of my staff had an exit strategy. Nobody wanted to be here.”

Now, a new charter school called Wylees Middle School just opened inside this same mall. They took over a 46,000 square foot space that used to be a Macy’s department store. Over 200 middle school students started classes on August 4th in what founder Mike Taack calls a “little bit surreal” setting.

The Mall’s Second Life

But Boulevard Mall isn’t completely dead. The owners have spent millions trying to breathe new life into the place. They’ve added some cool attractions that actually draw people in.

There’s El Mercado, a Hispanic-themed marketplace and food court with nearly 190 stores that opened in 2021. It’s like a cultural marketplace filled with Latin shops for fashion, jewelry, crafts, and amazing food.

The mall also has SeaQuest Interactive Aquarium, where you can interact with over 1,200 animals from around the world. There’s even a movie theater and entertainment venues. So while it’s not the shopping paradise it once was, the mall has found new ways to serve the community.

Now it’s adding education to the mix. This shows what happens when private entrepreneurs see opportunity where government bureaucrats see only decay.

A New Vision for Education

Mike Taack, who taught in the Clark County School District for years, decided to open his own school called “Wylees” — short for Western Youth Leadership, Engagement and Empowerment. He got tired of students asking “why do I have to learn this?” and wanted to create something different.

This is exactly the kind of creative thinking that emerges when you get government out of the way. Instead of waiting for the school district to build another cookie-cutter facility, Taack found an innovative solution in an unlikely place.

Why This Matters to Conservatives

This mall school is exactly what school choice looks like in action. Instead of being stuck with whatever the government school district hands them, parents now have another option. Many conservatives like charter schools because they bring market competition and limit government control.

Here’s a perfect example of the free market at work. A failing mall finds new purpose, an innovative educator gets to try his ideas, and parents get more choices. Everyone wins except the education establishment that wants to keep its monopoly.

The school focuses on individual, project-based learning, which lets kids learn at their own pace instead of being forced through a one-size-fits-all system. As a tuition-free charter school, it’s open to the public but doesn’t have to follow all the red tape that traditional public schools do.

Think about the symbolism here. A once-thriving mall that government couldn’t save is now home to a school that represents everything conservatives believe about education — innovation, choice, and results over bureaucracy.

Nearly 3.7 million students were enrolled in charter schools during the 2021-2022 school year, about 7 percent of all public school students. That’s up from about 2 million students in 2011-2012. Parents are voting with their feet, and they’re choosing alternatives to failing government schools.

In conservative states like Idaho, only 12 percent of parents said their regular public school was their top choice for their children. Most preferred private schools over other options. When families can’t afford private school, charter schools give them a way out.

What Parents Think

Parent Danielle Norris had some security concerns at first, but after hearing the school’s safety plans, including auto-locking doors and a single point of entry, those concerns were gone. She said she sees school leaders who have “such an authentic passion for children”.

English teacher Miranda Garcia plans to incorporate the school’s unique mall location into her lesson plans. That’s innovation you don’t see in regular public schools.

Looking Ahead

This mall school shows what happens when we trust parents instead of bureaucrats. The school is still recruiting teachers and enrolling students, proving there’s real demand for alternatives.

As Taack said: “We want the students to feel like they’re leaders, it’s in the name of the school, and so why not put them in an environment that feels almost like a college campus?”

The mall school in Las Vegas proves that when government gets out of the way, parents and educators find creative solutions. It’s time to bring that freedom to every state in America.

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Brittany Sheehan is a Las Vegas-based mother, policy advocate and grassroots leader. She is active in local politics, successful in campaign work and passionate about liberty.