$58M Rebuild to Reshape Reno Classrooms

The Washoe County School District broke ground on May 14 on a $58 million rebuild of Echo Loder Elementary School at 600 Apple Street in Reno, moving a long-planned campus replacement into construction. The district says the project will deliver a new two-story school of about 95,000 square feet on the existing site, with room for up to 875 students. (washoeschools.net) District materials tie the project to the 2023 Facility Modernization Plan and to WC-1, the voter-approved sales tax passed in 2016 for school construction, renovation and maintenance. (washoeschools.net) The project is not just a building replacement. Washoe County officials have said the new school is expected to serve current Echo Loder students as well as students rezoned from Corbett and Veterans elementary schools. (washoeschools.net) That means the rebuild is likely to reshape attendance patterns in this part of Reno before the new campus opens in August 2027. ### What is Washoe County actually building at Echo Loder? Echo Loder Elementary was built in the 1950s and was identified in the district’s 2023 facilities plan for reconstruction on its current campus. District project pages describe the replacement as a brand-new elementary school built to current education specifications. (washoeschools.net) The new building is planned as a two-story campus with about 95,000 square feet, 32 classrooms, a media center and collaborative group learning spaces. Washoe County School District says the school is designed to hold up to 875 students. (washoeschools.net) ### Why does the rebuild affect more than one school? Marcus Culpepper, Echo Loder’s principal, said at the groundbreaking that the district is “taking our students from Echo Loder and combining them with the rezoned students from Corbett and Veterans elementary schools.” His comments were published by the district in its May 14 event coverage. (washoeschools.net) Corbett Elementary’s school information page says there is a recommendation for Corbett students to move into the new school built on the Loder site, with that move taking place in 2027. The page also says the future use of Corbett’s current campus has not been determined. (washoeschools.net) ### How firm are the attendance-boundary changes? Washoe County’s public materials say rezoning is handled through a formal process, not through the construction announcement alone. The district’s Zoning Advisory Committee reviews boundary proposals in public meetings and makes recommendations to the Board of Trustees, which makes the final decisions. (washoeschools.net) Corbett Elementary’s page says rezoning usually begins about two years before changes take effect, with final decisions made about one year before implementation. That timeline suggests boundary work for the 2027 opening would be expected to move through public meetings before the new school opens. (corbett.washoeschools.net) ### Where is the money coming from? Washoe County School District says WC-1, the countywide 0.54% sales tax approved by voters in November 2016, is dedicated in perpetuity to constructing, renovating and maintaining school facilities. The district says it has invested nearly $1 billion in new schools, rebuilds and upgrades since that measure passed. (washoeschools.net) Bid records show the district recommended awarding the construction contract for the new Echo Loder Elementary School to Plenium Builders for $58,190,959, with an anticipated board award date of Jan. 13, 2026. The district’s project page lists a $59 million budget allocation for the school. (corbett.washoeschools.net) ### What happens on the site during construction? Washoe County’s public solicitation says the work is phased construction of a new elementary school on the existing Echo Loder site. The same project description says the existing school will be demolished after the new school is constructed. (washoeschools.net) Tami Zimmerman, WCSD’s chief facilities management officer, said at the groundbreaking that the new building could include a Family Resource Center or other special programs. The district has also said the project is one of the first major efforts approved under the 2023 facilities plan. (solicitations.washoeschools.net) ### What should families watch next? August 2027 is the district’s scheduled opening date for the new Echo Loder campus, according to district project pages and the May 14 groundbreaking announcement. Before then, families can expect zoning discussions to move through the Zoning Advisory Committee and then to the Washoe County Board of Trustees, which holds the final vote on attendance boundaries. (solicitations.washoeschools.net) (washoeschools.net)