Consolidation, bathrooms among topics discussed as WCSD modernization meetings continue

The Washoe County School District has been hosting a battery of community meetings to discuss the possible consolidation and enhancements to schools within the public school-serviced areas of the county, which stretch from Incline Village to Stead.

“We are moving into the next phase of our long-term facilities plan to ensure that every student in our district grows and thrives in the best possible learning environment. To accomplish this, we launched the Facility Modernization Plan (FMP) process, which guides and informs facility use and capital investment decisions for the next five to 10 years,” the WCSD website states.

In 2022, the District hired the consultant group CannonDesign to help facilitate a comprehensive assessment of all WCSD facilities, inviting the community, district working group, and a stakeholder advisory group to share their opinions in the process.

The WCSD has held 15 meetings in September 2023 so far and will continue the conversation about the Facility Modernization Plan throughout November and December. Last Wednesday (September 20th), WCSD staff and consultants held a meeting about the Facility Modernization Plan at Reed High School to discuss possible consolidations of elementary and middle schools in the Reed/Sparks High School zones. Consolidation of the middle and elementary schools in the Sparks High School area was previously discussed at Traner Middle School and no consolidations are being considered for elementary schools near Reed.

“The meetings [on September 20] went well. We had moderate attendance but lots of engagement. At all the meetings, we’ve had diverse attendance. Many parents, community members, older people, concerned citizens, and others came with valuable opinions,” says WCSD Chief Operating Officer Adam Searcy.

“The meetings we’ve had involve context and background of the Facility Modernization Plan and interactive surveys, then the consultant introduces draft options and a prompt for community members to present any new options,” he says.

Searcy explains that tackling the Facility Modernization Plan is broken down by regions, and the discussion at Reed High School was largely focused on that particular school’s future.

“Reed has well over 2,000 students now and will celebrate its 50th birthday in 2024,” Searcy says. “Sparks High School is about 20 years older, but Reed has a different legacy and architecture that warrants a new option.

“Reed is not underutilized, but it won’t move to another location; we’re looking more at modernizing it with enhanced safety, security, and equitable education facilities. There was an extended discussion on the bathroom because that’s where students say they tend to feel most unsafe,” he says.

Over the past few years, WCSD introduced a new restroom concept that involved single stalls in an open area with spaces at the very top (at least 10 feet high) between the stall and the ceiling. Sky Ranch Middle School and the new Hug High School both implemented this design.

“It was a very controversial concept when we first presented it. People tried to combine it with the gender issues going on, but then when they see it all their concerns seem to melt away. It went from being a controversy to something that is now desired. There is still a lot of life in Reed with definitely some opportunities to modernize it with upgrades, education equity, and even its aesthetics. Even a fresh coat of paint can uplift attitudes,” Searcy says.

The District also held an FMP meeting at O’Brien Middle School in Reno this past week, which Searcy says has quite different needs and options. He explains that there’s a bit of overcrowding happening at North Valleys High School and mild overcrowding at a nearby elementary school, so they are trying to figure out how to best address that. “It was a similar format to the Reed High School meeting. Not a lot of people attended but they offered thoughtful input,” Searcy says.

All of this is part of the 15-year Plan, to be reevaluated annually and presented to the Board of Trustees regularly. The goal is to present a draft of the Plan to the board in November and the final in December. If the final is approved, then staff can quickly get to work on executing the facility upgrade projects. The soonest anything can get off the ground is in 2024, and depending on the size and scope of the project it can take at least a year of planning, design, and construction.

“The soonest a project can be executed/completed is by the start of the 2025/26 or even 2026/27 school years,” Searcy says.

The District has some capital improvement funding streams that don’t sunset, so funds can be available as soon as the plan is approved by the board.

“We have the money, and we know the needs are there, we just need to work with the community to lay the foundation,” Searcy says. “I feel blessed to talk about this realistically; there is real money and resources that we have today, and Washoe County School District is committed to giving everyone the same educational opportunities regardless of where you live.”

WCSD also hosted a meeting in Spanish for the Sparks, Traner, and Dilworth middle school areas on September 26th at the Sparks Library.

“The community survey is out now; we’ve gotten great input so far and are hoping for a lot more of it. Now’s the time when you can influence how this all goes. The survey is available in Spanish, too, and there are tutorial videos to coach people through it since it is kind of dense,” he says.

“This is bold stuff, talking about the closure and consolidation of schools and it can get emotional. It’s not an indictment of a school or it’s performance, though, it’s just about how to best serve the community. No one is going to lose their job, and nothing is going to happen before the next school year. This is a transformative project and a wonderful opportunity to have your voice heard,” Searcy says.

Visit washoeschools.net/fmp for more information.