Board OKs road project near Lyon school site

A project designed to provide safe left-turn lanes at the site of the new Silver Stage High School has been approved by the Nevada Department of Transportation Board of Directors.

The school is under construction in Silver Springs and will serve the rapidly growing population of families throughout the Dayton corridor.

The project will widen Highway 50 East to provide left-turn pockets at Topaz Lane where the school is located near the Ramsey Weeks Cutoff and Lahontan Medical Center.

The state share of the project will cost up to $105,000. The rest of the $395,000 needed to widen the roadway will be split between Lyon County and the Lyon County School District.

Voters approved a $25 million bond issue in the 2000 election, with $11 million to build Silver Stage High School to serve students from Silver Springs and Stagecoach.

The area has an elementary and middle school, but older students have had to either attend Fernley or Dayton high schools -- usually about two-thirds attend Fernley and the remaining one-third go to Dayton.

The school will open under the direction of Dave Regalado, who left as principal of Dayton High School to take over leadership of Silver Stage High School.

He said parents and students often stop by the site, which is across the street from Silver Stage Middle School on Topaz and Spruce roads, to monitor the progress.

The school will open in August with an expected 300 freshmen, sophomores and juniors. The school colors will be navy and silver with the school mascot a Nighthawk.