Students at Damonte Ranch High School made a big move Monday, out of the portable classrooms on campus, and into a brand new expansion of the main building.
The district added two expansions to the high school, with a total of 22 new classrooms, easing overcrowding in one of the most overcrowded Washoe County schools.
"One of the important things we realized is that it's a real safety issue having kids in overcrowded schools," WCSD Board President Katy Simon Holland said. "Kids are bumping into each other. They can't get to class on time. It creates a lot of anxiety."
This is the first major project the district has finished since it got its new capital funding source from the WC-1 sales tax increase. The $10 million expansion has all new equipment and furniture, and better technology.
"These kids have now, in this facility, more of a state of the art educational experience," Holland said. "And of course we know, to compete in the 21st century, our students need to have the best that we can give them."
Since it's part of the same building, they say it will help students stay out of the weather and get to class faster.
"Less people will be late and less time will be spent taking care of the people who are late, like signing their planners, and taking care of anything like that," Damonte Ranch Senior Chloe Bonilla said. "So we'll have more time to actually, like, learn."
French teacher Jami Curtis was one of the teachers previously stationed in a mobile unit. She made her move to the new expansion Monday.
"It feels like we are all together," Curtis said. "There's continuity between teachers and continuity for students, and just having that space is incredible."
Next up with the capital funding, the school district is building two middle schools and an elementary school. All three are set to open in fall of 2019.
