Lyon County School District approves $2.06 million perimeter fencing and exterior door project for three high schools

The Lyon County School District Board on Wednesday approved a $2,059,750 contract to install perimeter fencing and replace exterior doors at Fernley, Dayton and Yerington high schools.

The board authorized Simerson Construction LLC’s base bid of $1,986,300 and Loomis & Associates’ construction staking and materials-testing proposal of $73,450, after hearing district staff describe the work as a combined security and infrastructure project.

District operations staff said the package includes modern fencing to funnel visitors to front entrances, replacement of damaged exterior doors at two campuses and asphalt and concrete repairs. “This project provides numerous benefits, enhancing overall security, safety of all three campuses,” Executive Director of Operations Harmon Baines told trustees, adding the improvements will “force all visitors to enter through the front door.”

Why it costs more than earlier estimates: Trustees and staff reviewed differences between the project budget approved in May 2024 and the current bid totals. Baines said the May budget covered fencing only. The current bid added exterior door replacements for Fernley and Dayton, removal of brush and trees in front of several entrances, concrete replacement where surfaces were damaged, and an asphalt repair prompted by a recent utility intervention that exposed a failing 50-year-old junction box. Those elements, plus higher regional construction pricing, pushed the base bid above the preliminary estimates presented in May.

Trustee questions and contractor details: Trustees pressed staff about the single-bid procurement and whether more time or alternate contracting approaches would have reduced costs. Baines said the district published the solicitation under Nevada Revised Statutes for public works, held a pre-bid conference and that contractors had the required time to submit proposals; staff also explained that packaging fencing, doors and asphalt under one general contractor is more efficient and reduces on-site coordination risks. The district identified the proposed subcontractors in the bid: Artistic Fence (fencing) and Morgan (concrete), among others. Baines said Simerson will act as general contractor and subcontract the specialty work.

Schedule and scope: Staff told the board the majority of disruptive work will be scheduled for the summer break because of student and traffic patterns; some fencing work may begin earlier. “Majority of this work is gonna be done over the summer,” Baines said, adding that concrete pours that would close entrances must wait until students are not on campus.

Board action and next steps: Trustee Bridget Peterson moved to approve the base bid and the materials-testing proposal; Trustee Rusty Bull seconded. The motion passed 7–0. Staff said they will finalize a construction timeline after contract award and return to the board if change orders or additional funding are required.

Budget and public records: The board approved the base bid only; several alternates were presented to trustees but were not funded. Staff agreed to provide clearer line-item breakout in future materials so trustees and the public can more easily compare preliminary budgets and final contract amounts.

Why it matters: District officials said the changes are intended to increase campus safety and create controlled single-point entry, while addressing long-standing deferred maintenance on doors and parking surfaces.