Board approves external reuse evaluation for Old Stead Elementary under repurposing framework

The Washoe County School District Board on June 23 authorized staff to proceed with an external reuse evaluation for the recently closed Old Stead Elementary School under Board Policy 70‑86 and the district’s repurposing framework.

Chief Operating Officer Adam Searcy said staff’s internal reuse survey and program inventory did not identify a compelling internal department need or funding‑approved expansion that would justify retaining the aging facility. Searcy noted the property’s unusual siting — adjacent to an interstate interchange and a five‑lane arterial — and said those factors limit certain district‑wide uses but can make the site attractive for external partnerships.

Deputy Chief Counsel Kevin Pick outlined the external reuse pathway: community engagement events and surveys, baseline property analysis (including appraisals), a nonbinding call for proposals to solicitate partner ideas, and analysis of proposals or a public sale option before any board decision. "That recommendation… would return to the board with a recommendation on whatever that external reuse option would look like," Pick said.

Speakers from local government and nonprofits signaled interest in partnership opportunities; Nathan Elliott, Reno’s parks director, urged robust partnership exploration. Trustees moved and unanimously approved the external reuse evaluation; staff said it will maintain and secure the property while the process runs and will return with recommendations as proposals are received.