Washoe County School District is likely moving away from initial plans to reconstruct Wooster High School amid funding concerns.
The current school building, which was constructed in 1962, is reportedly dilapidated and has air conditioning and leaking issues. Wooster is one of the oldest buildings in the district.
WCSD is having to halt capital projects due to flat sales taxes, elevated construction costs and lower enrollment. The old school is well below its 1,800-student capacity, with fewer than 1,200 students this year.
WCSD may move to use between $70M and $80M to renovate and modernize the school. In 2016, a tax increase called WC-1 was passed to help fund capital projects for overcrowded schools. The program resulted in roughly $1.3B for a dozen new schools and $230M in repairs.
WCSD initially floated replacing Wooster with a new $210M building that would be finished around 2031 or 2032. Now, the district is considering what to do with the old school and is considering turning it into an administration building.
WCDS will discuss the future of Wooster High School and the prospective administration building on May 12. The oversight committee recommended the Board of Trustees move to rebuild Wooster and avoid the new administration building.
Funding Issues
Amid WCSD’s funding concerns, the district is moving to use capital project funds for textbooks. WCSD recently approved balancing its Fiscal Year 2027 budget by activating $3.3M in capital project funds.
The move comes as the start of the school year had an $18M budget deficit. The district intends to use $3.3M of its capital project budget for textbooks each year for the next decade.
Opponents of the move fear the district may start to use its capital project budget for other operational costs. The Board of Trustees will also decide on whether to use the funding during its May 12 meeting, after the publication deadline.
