After scaling back the new Owyhee Combined School campus, the proposed education facility received its first bid.
The project aims to replace the aging 70-year-old campus near the Nevada-Idaho border. When seeking its original bids last August, the school received no offers for the nearly $65M project. This time around, MGM Construction was the sole bidder on the project. The new school will be five miles from the existing school.
KUNRreported Design West is the architecture firm attached to the project.
The Elko County School District was awarded funding from the 2023 AB519 for the new school. Voters in the county decided to cease a funding mechanism for school construction/maintenance in 2020. The current Owyhee school provides an education to around 300 K-12 students.
The bill stipulated that Elko County must impose a property tax of $0.01-$0.25 per $100 of assessed valuation on taxable property for school needs. The Elko County Commission previously agreed to redirect some of its $0.50 tax for community projects and wildfire protection toward the district’s capital fund to be used for maintenance and construction.
The bill also requires funds to be spent by Sept. 15, 2028. Representatives from the district have expressed confidence in meeting that deadline.
The Owyhee Tribe donated 30 acres of land for the school and already pledged $12M to the project through a land survey, archaeological studies and building contracts for issues like power. The Idaho National Guard already cleared and leveled the site at no cost.
The district sought bids last August and received no response. This caused the district to scale back its plans. A football and track field, career technical education building, bus barn and other aspects were left out of the new plans. The aspects left out in the current plan may be added back later.
The School Board is scheduled to vote on the matter at its meeting on Feb. 4. (Source)
