Report shows northern Nevada schools in need of repairs

The 1997 Legislature authorized an evaluation of public school campuses. Based on the results, priorities will be listed for consideration by the 1999 Legislature, which convenes Feb. 1.

In Washoe County, school repairs are estimate at nearly $26 million. The Carson City School District estimated it needs $4.6 million. In Douglas County, the cost was estimated at nearly $6 million.

Dale Sanderson, facilities manager for Washoe County schools, said a more recent evaluation to be included in the report shows only one Reno-area school, which opened last year, that doesn't need fixing.

At the others, pending projects range from a few hundred to thousands of dollars.

"It could be anything," he said, from painting to light fixtures or repairing asphalt.

"Some things are cyclical maintenance items that we might have to do every other year," Sanderson said.

State lawmakers will review the report this spring. But with the state facing a projected $140 million budget shortfall, the availability of money to make the necessary repairs remains questionable.

Voters in some larger counties have approved bond issues to pay for new schools and repairs of existing ones.

But in some rural counties, voters have either rejected similar measures or the counties are already at a tax cap set by state law.

That means those counties are more likely to receive state assistance if any money for school repairs is available, Sanderson said.

"If there is any funding at all it will go to the small counties with significant problems and no source of revenue," he said. "Some counties are at the maximum tax rate. If there's assistance, it's going to be for the small counties that have no alternatives."

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