Neighborhood discusses addition to school

The addition to Bordewich-Bray Elementary School will be started later and cost more than originally anticipated -- but officials are welcoming the delay.

"We realized we had an opportunity to do it better," said Mike Mitchell, director of operations for the Carson City School District. "We believe it's the right thing to do for kids and taxpayers. We're not disappointed at all. We're excited about it."

Mitchell hosted a meeting at the school Wednesday evening to discuss construction plans with parents and neighbors.

"The school district believes strongly in neighborhood schools," he said. "It's important that parents and people living near the schools understand what the school district's goals are and become a part of it."

Katie McRae brought her boys Connor, 3, and Tobin, 2, to the meeting.

"We just live right down the street," she said. "Most likely, this is going to be where my kids go to school. And we walk a lot so I wanted to see if there's going to be any traffic changes with the building expansion."

The addition became necessary when five modular classrooms on the campus were destroyed last summer because they were infested with toxic mold.

Voters passed a $3.75 million bond to pay for new construction.

Plans were delayed, however, when discussion arose about different designs for the addition.

The first design, referred to as the Nevada Plan, featured a cluster of classrooms, some shaped like the Silver State, with a common area in the center.

The second option was a long corridor with traditional, square classrooms on each side.

Mitchell said the cluster design of the Nevada Plan uses space and energy more efficiently, and the school's staff voted for it.

"We kind of struggled for a while deciding which plan to use," Mitchell explained. "We did a lot of research, and that took some time."

The Nevada Plan will cost about $600,000 more, with the additional money coming from the district's capital projects fund.

"We're looking to save money over the long haul by doing it right in the beginning," Mitchell said.

Work is now expected to begin in August and should be completed by spring break in April.