Nevada District Approves New Elementary School Construction

Officials from the Nye Country School District recently approved the construction of a new, $15.2-million elementary school in Tonopah, Nev. The 26,000-square-foot space will replace the existing elementary school and move to a 5.5-acre site near the city’s high school.

Local news reports that the move will effectively lead to a centralized academic area for students ages PreK–12 in the town of Tonopah. Tonopah Elementary School currently has an enrollment of 163 students.

The district is partnering with the Las Vegas-based design firm Knit on the new Tonopah Elementary School’s design. “We had two public information meetings where we solicited input from the community,” said Mark McGinty, principal at Knit. These meetings, as well as an online poll conducted by the district, revealed majority support for relocating the school to a new facility. “They want a new school,” he said.

Construction is tentatively scheduled to begin in January 2023 and is expected to last about 12 months. McGinty did comment that the integrative design of the two schools will account for the increased traffic flow and will include separate drop-off lanes for elementary and high school students. There will be another dedicated spot for school bus pickup and drop-off.

“Keeping the buses, parents and students separated is the No. 1 goal,” he said.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Can AI Help Build Stronger Communities in Student Housing?

    Student housing success is shifting from operational performance to student experience, with belonging now at the center. A recent 2025 report underscores a growing emphasis on student well-being, community, and engagement, signaling that expectations now extend beyond logistics to ensure students feel supported in their living environments. AI is enabling that shift by reducing administrative workload and giving teams more time to focus on meaningful student engagement.

  • Architectural Power for the Modern Campus Landscape

    For generations, an outdoor classroom only required a textbook and a patch of grass. Today, not only has the laptop replaced the printed pages, the rise of agile learning has turned campuses into study halls with students listening to lectures and researching topics from quads, gardens, and plazas. The challenge for architects and facility managers is to provide connectivity without cluttering the landscape with visual eyesores or creating safety hazards with extension cords.

  • Amazon Expands Lockers to More Than 500 College, University Campuses

    Amazon recently announced that its Locker Network now totals more than 750 locations at more than 500 college and university campuses around the United States, according to a company news release.

  • ed tech conference calendar

    Upcoming Awards, Events & Webinars