The Washoe County School District Board of Trustees on Tuesday approved an allocation of almost $16.4 million to its capital renewal and major projects programs during the next year.
Examples of $9.7 million in capital renewal projects at existing schools include asbestos and lead abatement, Americans with Disabilities Act compliance, information technology infrastructure, and carpentry.
Major projects total $6.7 million for designing educational specifications at new high schools, the first being in the Wildcreek area set to open in fall 2022, and master planning for a new high school in the Butler Ranch area, and the repurposing of Hug High School as a career and technical academy to open in fall 2023. The Butler Ranch area school is tentatively planned for fall 2024.
Planning for a new middle school in the Arrowcreek area and an elementary school in the Spanish Springs area — both set to open in fall 2020 — are also included as major projects, along with expansion of the transportation bus yard and seven new elementary schools countywide that are growth dependent.
Adam Searcy, district facilities management officer, told trustees one of those seven elementary schools will be in the Stonebrook development being built by Toll Brothers in Spanish Springs. He said the 1,500- to 1,800-new home development south of La Posada Drive and east of Pyramid Way will need the school in the next 5 to 7 years.
Repairs at existing schools are prioritized based on urgency, but HVAC, roofing, and safety take precedent.
“The first line of defense are our custodians at the sites,” said Tami Zimmerman, deputy facilities management officer. “If they can do the work relatively quickly and have the skill they will take care of it. We generally prioritize by warm, safe, and dry for some years.”
Zimmerman said building systems are prioritized in the following order:
- Roofing
- Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC)
- Electronics systems (fire alarms, public address, and telephones)
- Electrical power & distributions
- Plumbing water supply and waste
- Door locks & Hardware
- ADA, backflow and asbestos compliance
- Carpentry and flooring
- Grounds, fields, irrigation and paving
- Information technology infrastructure
- Painting and Sealing
Funds for school construction are coming from ballot question WC-1, November 2016’s 0.54 percent voter-approved sales tax increase. Such dollars can go only toward construction of and refurbishing of facilities. This money cannot be used for teacher or administrator salaries or other school operations.
