Elko trustees authorize bid for Grammar No. 2 office relocation amid wider boiler, roof and budget concerns

Trustees for the Elko County School District voted May 6 to authorize going out to bid for a project to relocate the office at Grammar Number 2 in order to create a single, controlled entry for the campus.

The vote came after lengthy discussion about rising construction estimates and district-wide facility priorities. The board approved the motion to seek bids for the office relocation; the motion passed with one board member voting no.

The relocation project is intended to create a hardened entry and eliminate an unsecured gate that currently permits direct access from the playground to the school's interior, a safety concern cited by the district's school resource officers and in the district—s hazard and vulnerability assessment. The facilities presenter said the relocation would include a new entry with magnetic locks, cameras and secured doors and described the work as a roughly 1,200-square-foot remodel with structural work to open a CMU wall.

Officer Clint Hildreth, the district school resource officer, told trustees the Grammar campus is the oldest in the district and "doesn't have a secure access point," adding that "if we have the money available to do those things and we don't do it, and something happens, then we're opening the checkbook anyways." He urged that high-priority safety items recommended in the district's safety assessments be acted on when funds exist.

Trustees pressed facilities staff about costs and alternatives. Facilities staff said engineers' design work revealed a deteriorated steam system at Grammar with corroded piping and other failures; what had been an earlier estimate of about $1.2 million for mechanical work has grown into a plan for a full mechanical upgrade estimated at about $2.6 million. That larger mechanical scope, the presenter said, was chosen to avoid returning for further repairs and piecemeal fixes.

Board members questioned whether the security relocation, estimated at roughly $310,000 for the office remodel plus about $170,000 for mechanical elements in that space (figures presented by staff), should proceed now when other systems across the district — notably boilers and leaking roofs — also need funding. One trustee said the two items together previously were estimated near $1.2 million but that newer estimates push combined costs closer to $3 million.

Several trustees and staff highlighted the district—s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) and available reserves as context. A district finance update noted roughly $11 million currently in pay-as-you-go funds and referenced a county-designated 20-cent tax allocation that the district expects to be available for matching state funds after July 1. The board discussed repurposing previously allocated geothermal funds and the CIP—s built-in flexibility to address changing priorities.

Trustees also discussed lower-cost interim options recommended in the hazard and vulnerability assessment, such as fencing, magnetically locked gates and buzz-in systems that would allow visitor screening without a full relocation. One trustee urged staff to develop those alternatives to preserve capital for larger, systemwide needs.

After debate, Board Chair Teresa (first reference: Teresa, Board Chair) moved to grant permission to go out to bid for the Grammar Number 2 office relocation; the motion was seconded and approved (motion passed with one nay). The vote tally was 6 in favor, 1 opposed. The board specifically separated the relocation bid authorization from the larger mechanical (boiler) project, meaning the mechanical upgrade would be considered separately and is not covered by the relocation bid authorization.

Trustees asked staff to continue refining cost estimates and to return with prioritized recommendations that consider both safety needs and systemwide mechanical failures at other schools, including Elko High School and Jackpot High School. Facilities staff said they would pause additional design spending on other schools until funding levels and potential state matching funds are clearer.

Why this matters: district officials said the relocation would address an immediate campus security gap at a school where the main office is located amid playground access. At the same time, facilities staff and trustees acknowledged the district faces multiple urgent capital needs, including boilers, roofs and parking-lot repairs, and must balance short-term safety fixes against multi-million-dollar mechanical projects.

Ending note: The board directed staff to proceed with the solicitation for the office relocation; trustees left open lower-cost interim security improvements and said they will return to the larger boiler and mechanical decisions after more detailed cost and funding information is available.