Washoe County School District outlines multi‑year modernization plan, highlights safety upgrades and repurposing

Adam Searcy, a representative from the Washoe County School District, told the Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Governing Board on Feb. 12 that the district’s 2023 Facility Modernization Plan (FMP) centers on three approaches—modernization, reconstruction and repurposing—to bring older campuses closer to the standards of newer school buildings.

Searcy said the ballot measure that financed WC‑1 enabled construction of 10 new schools and five major additions, and he described how school‑by‑school work and community partnerships produced projects such as Jay Wood Raw Elementary, Procter Hugg High School and the Debbie Smith CTE Academy. He noted that the district has used partnership grants and jurisdictional coordination—citing the city of Reno’s commitment of $1,100,000 for pedestrian flashers near Jay Wood Raw—to complete site safety improvements after openings.

The presentation emphasized three distinct tracks: targeted modernization (retain building "bones" while renovating interiors), full reconstruction for campuses that require replacement, and repurposing or closure for severely underused schools. Searcy said the board approved the FMP in 2023 after 18 months of community engagement and that the district is now pursuing rezoning and trade‑up scenarios intended to ensure respectful transitions for students and staff at affected campuses.

Director Jeremy Smith (TMRPA staff) and several elected officials on the governing board asked for status updates on site safety and security retrofits. Searcy reported that elementary and middle schools in the district now generally have secure perimeters and single points of entry, and that the district is under construction to retrofit the remaining high‑school campuses with similar security measures; he said those retrofits should be complete by the start of the next school year or by the end of this calendar year.

Board members raised neighborhood impacts and access concerns. Commissioner Mike Clark requested staff follow‑up on illegal curbside parking and parent drop‑off behavior at Arrow Creek/Marcy Hertz School; the presenter and several commissioners said a blend of enforcement, signage (red curbs/no‑parking) and school outreach would be used to address the problem.

Searcy also described work to identify and evaluate consolidated administrative headquarters options (the Administrative Facilities Master Plan) for district non‑school staff, including possible reuse of Corbett or Wooster properties as part of the district’s broader site strategy.

The board did not take formal action on the FMP at the Feb. 12 meeting; staff said additional stakeholder meetings and public notifications are planned as rezoning and repurposing steps move forward.