Elko school board approves bid solicitation for Grammar No. 2 office relocation after debate over boilers, safety and cost

The Elko County School District Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to authorize going out to bid for relocating the office at Grammar No. 2, a project trustees said is intended to create a secure, single-point entry for the campus. The motion to solicit bids passed after substantial discussion and one recorded nay.

Board members and staff said the relocation and associated security improvements are estimated at roughly $480,000. Matt, a district facilities staff member who presented the proposal, told trustees the project includes about $170,000 for mechanical work (to add cooling and rework heating distribution) and roughly $310,000 for the office remodel, which will open and secure a CMU wall, add new doors, cameras and magnetic locks.

Trustees and staff tied the office relocation to a larger facilities conversation about boilers and other high-cost repairs. The district’s facilities presenter said an earlier estimate of about $1.2 million to address Grammar’s boilers and related piping has grown into a broader mechanical upgrade with an engineer’s estimate now close to $2.6 million; combining that work with other prioritized projects brings the total in the “around $3,000,000” range, trustees were told. Superintendent CJ Anderson told the board the district has flexibility in its capital planning but must prioritize projects against limited funds, noting existing CIP allocations and pay-as-you-go balances.

The debate split on whether to spend on a permanent office relocation now or to pursue lower-cost interim measures such as fencing, controlled vestibules or magnetic gate access that would separate visitors from students during recess. “If we have the money available to do those things, especially those high priority items … then we should do it,” said Officer Hildreth, the district’s school resource officer, speaking in favor of following the safety assessment recommendations. Other trustees pressed for cheaper interim steps so the district could hold funds for major mechanical work elsewhere.

Board members repeatedly cited the district’s capital improvement plan (CIP) and recent Hazard and Vulnerability Assessment (HVA) safety report when weighing options. Staff said some funds previously designated for other projects (about $800,000 in multi-year allocations) could be repurposed and that the district expects additional resources after a July 1 county tax allocation is processed, but staff cautioned that those amounts were not guaranteed until received.

Theresa, a trustee, moved the motion to go out to bid for the Grammar No. 2 office relocation; a second was given (not specified in the meeting transcript). After discussion and a roll-call-style voice vote, the motion carried. Meeting minutes state the motion passed with one nay; the transcript does not record a full roll-call of each member’s vote.

Trustees directed staff to combine the office-relocation discussion with the broader facilities update so board members can weigh bid results against other pressing capital needs, including roof work at Old Central and potential boiler design work at Elko High and Jackpot High. Staff said they will return with bids and more refined cost estimates for the board to consider before awarding any contract.

The board’s action at this meeting authorizes only solicitation of bids; any contract award will require a subsequent board vote.