The Raiders Held a Pep Rally at DPAC Nevada to Honor Students for High ACT Scores

by Ryan Rose

What Happened at DPAC Nevada

DPAC Nevada is a tuition-free, K-12 public charter school at 1201 W. Lake Mead Blvd. in the Historic Westside of Las Vegas. The name comes from Democracy Prep at the Agassi Campus. On Tuesday, the school's gym was dressed in silver and black, with a balloon arch, Raiders banners and a podium set up at center court.

According to FOX5 Vegas, the pep rally opened with remarks from DPAC Nevada Executive Director Dr. Lawrence Weekly and Raiders Team President Sandra Douglass Morgan. The DPAC Nevada cheerleaders performed next. Then the rally turned into a student recognition ceremony. Raiders players honored students for their academic accomplishments, including high ACT and assessment scores.

Four Raiders players were there: Jeremy Chinn, Nakobe Dean, Connor Heyward and Jonah Laulu. Raider Rusher, the team mascot, and the Raiderettes joined them. About 750 students attended, FOX5 reported.

DPAC Nevada principal King Duncan made it clear who the day was really for. "We're here to celebrate not just the Raiders are 3-0, about to be 4-0, but we're going to celebrate our scholars, their academic achievements, and our teachers," Duncan told FOX5.

Raiders players, Raiderettes and mascot Raider Rusher stand at center court under a silver and black balloon arch during the student recognition ceremony at DPAC Nevada

After the ceremony, junior and senior high school students ran a student-moderated Sports Business Panel with Raiders staff members. Duncan said the goal was to show students the many career paths inside the sports world, not just the ones on the field. "I love the players. But we got some future NFL team owners in this building today," he said. He added that the room also held future NFL lawyers and even future team presidents.

The day wrapped up with a Raiders Junior Training Camp. Students learned football fundamentals and did health and wellness activities alongside Raiders players, Raider Rusher and the Raiderettes. KSNV News 3 also covered the event and reported the same lineup of activities.

Teachers were not left out. The Public Education Foundation's "Classroom in a Box" school supply kits were handed out, along with Raiders-branded literacy affirmation posters for classrooms.

Why It Matters to Las Vegas Residents

First, this is about kids doing the hard work and getting noticed for it. The ACT is not an easy test. In Nevada, every public high school junior takes it, free of charge, as the state's College and Career Readiness assessment, according to the Nevada Department of Education. Scores do not decide whether a student graduates. But they can go on college applications and help with course placement. A strong ACT score can open doors to scholarships and admissions that change a family's future.

When an NFL team shows up to say "good job" for a test score, students notice. So do their younger classmates. DPAC Nevada serves kindergarten through 12th grade on one campus, so the little kids in the stands saw the big kids get cheered for their grades. That is a message that sticks.

Second, the career panel matters. Most kids who love sports will never play in the NFL. But the Raiders employ people in marketing, law, finance, media, operations and community work. Letting juniors and seniors run the panel themselves, and ask real staff about real jobs, makes those careers feel reachable. Duncan's line about "future NFL team owners" was a joke with a point.

It also sends a message to the teachers. Duncan made a point of including them in his opening line, right next to the scholars. Teachers are the ones who get students ready for tests like the ACT, week after week, long before anyone hands out an award. Public thanks in front of 750 kids and an NFL team president goes a long way.

Third, it matters for the neighborhood. Duncan described the school as "a beacon of light in a community that needs light," and said, "our kids are that light." The Historic Westside is one of the oldest parts of Las Vegas, just northwest of downtown. The city has spent years on plans to reinvest in the area. Strong schools are a big part of what keeps a neighborhood healthy, because families choose where to live based on where their kids will learn.

Finally, the supply kits are a small thing that is not small at all. Teachers in Clark County often buy classroom supplies with their own money. A box that covers a whole class for a semester takes a real bill off a teacher's plate.

Background: DPAC Nevada, the ACT and the Public Education Foundation

DPAC Nevada is a public charter school, which means it is free to attend and funded with public dollars, but it runs separately from the Clark County School District. The school says it offers an extended school day focused on reading, writing and math. It also lists athletics, arts, music and travel programs. For high school students, it offers ACT preparation and scholarship support. Its stated mission is to give scholars a college prep experience so they can thrive "in the college of their choice." Enrollment for the 2026-27 school year is open through the school's website.

Hundreds of DPAC Nevada students fill the gym bleachers in the Historic Westside of Las Vegas while Raiders staff and school leaders gather on the court

The ACT has been part of every Nevada junior's year for a while now. The Nevada Department of Education says all 11th graders in public high schools must take the College and Career Readiness assessment, and the State Board of Education chose the ACT for that role. The test is usually given at the end of February or in early March, with a make-up date for students who miss it. Because every junior takes it, a high score is a real way for a student to stand out.

The Public Education Foundation is a Las Vegas nonprofit that supports Clark County public schools. It runs the Teacher Superstore, where teachers can get free supplies, along with scholarship and teacher programs. Its Classroom in a Box kit comes with enough supplies for 30 students and their teacher. The foundation says a $215 donation covers an entire classroom for the whole semester, and the boxes go to schools with the greatest need.

This was not the only Raiders school story in the valley this month. Just a few days earlier, on Sept. 26, CCSD's Mission High School unveiled a Serenity Garden funded by The Raiders Foundation. We wrote about it in Mission High Serenity Garden Opens. Put the two together and you get a clear picture: the team is showing up on local campuses, in person, with the focus on students.

A Neighborhood With a Long Story

The Historic Westside sits just northwest of downtown Las Vegas. It is one of the city's oldest neighborhoods, and the City of Las Vegas has spent more than a decade on plans to reinvest there. In May 2016, community members and the UNLV Downtown Design Center finished the HUNDRED Plan, short for Historic Urban Neighborhood Design Redevelopment. The City Council adopted it, and in 2020 the city released a phased "HUNDRED Plan in Action" with dates, budgets and priorities.

Schools have been part of that story for a long time. The city lists the restoration of the Historic Westside School, which first opened in 1923, as a $12.5 million, seven-year project finished in late 2016. The city also reopened the F Street underpass in 2014, a $13.6 million project shared with the Nevada Department of Transportation. DPAC Nevada, a few minutes away on Lake Mead Boulevard, is a newer chapter in that same neighborhood.

What Happens Next

For DPAC Nevada students, the school year keeps rolling. Juniors across Nevada will sit for the statewide ACT in late winter or early spring, based on the Nevada Department of Education's usual testing window. Students who were honored on Tuesday set a bar for the next class to chase. Seniors will be putting those scores to work on college and scholarship applications this fall.

For families thinking about schools, DPAC Nevada lists 2026-27 enrollment as open now through its website. If you live in the Historic Westside or nearby and want a K-12 option on one campus, it is worth a look. Charter schools often have application windows and waitlists, so check dates early.

For the Raiders, the season continues, and so does the team's community work. Duncan was already predicting a 4-0 record on Tuesday. Whatever happens on the field, the team's school visits tend to keep coming through the fall. Keep an eye on local news for the next one, especially if you have a student at a Clark County school.

For students who sat in on the sports business panel, the next step is up to them. Duncan said the panel was meant to open their eyes to careers in sports. For a junior or senior, that might mean picking a college major with a new goal in mind, like business, law or communications. Those choices start now, during the fall of junior and senior year.

For teachers, the Public Education Foundation keeps running Classroom in a Box and the Teacher Superstore year-round. Those programs depend on donations and volunteers, so the supply stays as strong as the community makes it.

Ryan's Take

I talk to families every week who are choosing where to live, and schools are almost always part of that talk. Not just test scores, either. Parents want to know if a school feels alive. Do the kids have something to be proud of? Do teachers have what they need? A gym full of 750 students cheering classmates for their ACT scores tells you a lot about a school's culture. You cannot put that in a spreadsheet, but buyers feel it when they visit.

I also like that this happened in the Historic Westside. The area sits right next to downtown and has been the focus of city reinvestment plans for years. Neighborhoods get stronger when schools, businesses and big community partners like the Raiders all show up for the same kids. That kind of energy is how an area builds pride, and over time, value. The city has already put real money into the Westside, from the restored Historic Westside School to the F Street underpass. Schools that give families a reason to stay are the other half of that equation.

One more thing. A lot of buyers I work with assume "good schools" only means the newest suburbs. That is not always true. Charter schools, magnet programs and neighborhood schools all over the valley are doing great work, and many of them are close to jobs downtown and on the Strip. Before you rule out an area, look at the options your kids would actually have there. If you are house hunting near downtown, visit the schools, not just the homes. It will tell you a lot.

DPAC Nevada high school students in the gym bleachers listen as Raiders staff speak during the Raiders Day event in Las Vegas

What You Can Do

Support local teachers. The Public Education Foundation takes donations for its Classroom in a Box program. A $215 gift covers supplies for a full class of 30 students and their teacher for a semester. You can also volunteer to help pack boxes. Visit thepef.org/classroominabox to learn more.

Public Education Foundation Classroom in a Box yellow supply kits with students using colored pencils, the same kits handed to DPAC Nevada teachers

Cheer on the students in your life. If you have a junior at home, the ACT is coming later this school year. It is free for Nevada juniors and given at school. Ask your student's school about practice tests and prep help. DPAC Nevada, for example, lists ACT prep as part of its high school program. A little practice can make a big difference.

Look into your school options. If you are a parent in the Historic Westside or anywhere near downtown, DPAC Nevada lists 2026-27 enrollment as open. It is at 1201 W. Lake Mead Blvd., and the school's main number is 702-316-2410. Visit in person and ask questions. The same goes for any school you are thinking about, charter or CCSD.

Use the Teacher Superstore if you teach. If you are a Clark County public school teacher, the Public Education Foundation's Teacher Superstore offers free supplies. The foundation lists its Teacher Superstore line as 702-263-6007 and its office at 6001 S. Decatur Blvd., Suite D, in the southwest valley.

Share the good news. Stories like this one do not get as much attention as the tough headlines. Sharing them helps students and teachers feel seen, and it reminds everyone that a lot of good work is happening in our local schools every day.

Have questions about how this affects your home or neighborhood? Reach out to Ryan Rose or text/call 702-747-5921 anytime. You can also email ryan@rosehomeslv.com or visit rosehomeslv.com. Ryan Rose | Real Broker, LLC.