School repairs expected to be complete

With 10 schools in some level of repair disarray, operations director Mike Mitchell is hopeful all bond projects will be complete before students return for classes.

"If everything goes right for the next 10 days, we'll be done," he said. "If one little misstep happens, it will be difficult to finish."

District officials have set a self-imposed deadline to finish the remainder of the projects outlined in the 2000 bond by Aug. 19 -- one week before school session resumes.

Mitchell said he is most nervous about work at Carson High School being completed in time.

The air conditioning is set to be restored in a week but he said the updated chemistry labs may fall behind schedule if essential pieces, such as counter tops, arrive late.

"If they get here even one day late, it will throw us off," he said. "But if we have two, we'll start school without the labs and finish them up within the first two weeks."

The $18-million bond passed by voters in 2000 was designed to improve outdated systems and make necessary upgrades and repairs.

Mitchell is pleased with the projects they were able to complete with the funds and with the planning.

"I feel good about the fact that the things we expected to go wrong were the things that went wrong," he explained. "For the most part, it went well -- we're finishing on time and within budget."

The only downside, he said, was they had to spend all of the contingency money on unexpected costs.

Most of it went to replacing utilities at Carson Middle School from the water supply to the sewer and gas lines.

"We thought we may have to do some repair but when we got into it, we saw it was all old and needed to be replaced," he said.

The upside, however, is seeing the completed work.

"The bathrooms at Fritsch Elementary School turned out pretty nice," Mitchell said. "It's very exciting."

IF YOU GO

What: Carson City School Board meeting

When: 7 p.m. Tuesday

Where: , Sierra Room of the Carson City Community Center, 851 E. William St.