Students of Las Vegas High School should know that Las Vegas High School has been around for years. Las Vegas High School’s origin traces back to a one-room school in 1856, with the first high school campus built in 1917 as Clark County High School.
The iconic 1930 Art Deco building opened in 1930 as the city’s first dedicated high school, later being renamed Las Vegas Academy of the Arts when the high school moved to a new campus in 1993.
In 1993, the purpose of the Las Vegas Academy of the Arts was to transform the historic Las Vegas High School into a magnet school specializing in the performing and visual arts, a new educational model for the region. It was intended to provide a focused, intensive arts education for students, moving away from the comprehensive curriculum of the previous high school. The academy began with this specialized focus, with the visual arts component added the following year.
Las Vegas High School was moved because its original campus was aging and overcrowded, leading to the decision in 1992 to build a new, larger facility. The old campus was renamed the Las Vegas Academy of International Studies and the Performing Arts, while the new school was built at its current location on East Sahara Avenue.
Currently, Las Vegas High School is known as the oldest high school in Southern Nevada, having deep traditions like the “Bone Game” rivalry with Rancho High School, a history of athletic championships, and strong performing arts programs, especially its mariachi program. Its community spirit, academic rigor, and dedication to the students are also major points of pride.
