Legislation brings Incline Elementary closer to new school site

Incline Village needs a new elementary school site and Nevada's senators and congressman rode to the rescue.

Sens. Richard Bryan and Harry Reid together with U.S. Rep. Jim Gibbons introduced new legislation in both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives that would transfer property from the U.S. Forest Service to the Washoe County School District.

"This is really exciting news," Anne Loring, the school board president said. "We're been working on it for quite some time. It's an honor to work with Senators Bryan and Reid and Congressman Gibbons."

Discussion about this legislation has been going on for a couple of years. Bryan's office spokesman Dave Lemmon said it was only introduced now because they like to do things carefully.

"It takes time to sit down with all the interested parties. We'd rather get everyone signed off on it before we do anything," Lemmon said.

Lemmon said he would never get into the game of predicting when the legislation will be approved.

"We have a strong hope it will be later this year, maybe early October, but I won't predict anything," Lemmon said.

Bryan said when local residents and the school district described the need for a new elementary school at Incline Village, he promised them that he would do everything he could to make this a reality.

He said it is the first step in the process of constructing a new elementary school. It will give the student the kind of facility to help them excel.

The Senate and House legislation would allow the 8.7 acres behind the Raley's Shopping Center to be used for the school site. The land is environmentally sensitive land with stream beds which are protected under the Burton-Santini Act.

The measure would allow the Forest Service to sell the land to the school district at a reasonable price. All proceeds from the sale would be placed into a special fund and only used to purchase environmentally sensitive land in the Tahoe Basin.

Loring said the stream in question is a seasonal stream, but the district's architect has told them it's a buildable lot.

"We'll use the stream for environmental science. It's a great opportunity for the students to see environmental work in progress at Tahoe," Loring said.

The purchase of the land would be at fair market value and would be assessed for limited use only.

"It's (the elementary school) the only thing that can be developed there. The school board could not turn around and sell it for a condominium development," Lemmon said.

There is no specific estimate on the cost. Loring said they don't have an appraisal yet but they are expecting to cover the cost of of the site with proceeds from the sale of school property some years ago.

In 1998, Washoe County voters approved selling $8 million in bonds for the construction of a new school in Incline.

Loring said the cost of building a full-sized school in Incline is estimated at roughly $12 million.