Open house is planned for new school building

By Emily Richmond (contact)

Friday, May 27, 2005 | 9:47 a.m.

As controversy continues to swirl around the Clark County School Board's decision to spend $14.5 million for an opulent office building, Superintendent Carlos Garcia announced he would hold an "open house" Tuesday for the media to get its first look inside.

Requests to tour the building at 5100 W. Sahara Ave. had been turned down until now. Garcia told School Board members Thursday they were welcome to come along for the tour.

Member Shirley Barber, who abstained from the vote approving the purchase of the building, said she was concerned over newspaper reports that detailed events surrounding the School Board's decision to buy. Barber said she wasn't convinced that members had been given all of the information they needed to make their decision.

"Why was only one option (for a building purchase) presented to the board?" Barber asked. "Why did we have to rush this process, what was the urgency?"

For the past few years, at the School Board's urging, district staff have been scouting out potential sites to either buy or build office space in the hopes of eliminating costly monthly leases.

District officials first visited the Glen Townes Administration Building March 22 and made an offer the following day. The purchase was approved by the School Board April 28.

Garcia said all of the required procedures were followed and vetted by the district's own legal office. As for the speediness of the transaction, it was a question of opportunity, Garcia said.

"It was on the market, and we had an opportunity to buy it," Garcia said. "It's that simple."

The purchase will allow the district to stop paying more than $900,000 annually to lease office space for employees spread out across the Las Vegas Valley, Garcia said.

Two independent appraisals put the building's value at $15 million. It would cost the district at least $19 million to build a similarly sized facility provided space could be found on land it already owns, Garcia said.

He also suggested media reports were wrongly fueling concerns.

"The day that this School Board allows the media to run this school district is the day that this district's in trouble," Garcia said. "What's run in the newspaper isn't necessarily what actually occurs, as most of us have learned."

But some critics, including Las Vegas attorney Charles Thompson, suggest the district's staff hasn't been forthright in its costs estimates. The $14.5 million price tag doesn't include potential renovations, such as adding a School Board assembly room, estimated at more than $4 million in one district memo, Thompson said.

Walt Rulffes, deputy superintendent of operations for the district, said there are no plans for extensive renovations of the building. He said the School Board did not vote to add a meeting room.

Much of the controversy centers on the top floor of the four-story building. The "executive suite" is outfitted with marble floors, a private bathroom with shower, top-grade lighting fixtures and numerous decorative touches.

Carolyn Edwards, a member of Nevadans for Quality Education, said the building purchase has been blown out of proportion.

"It's a reasonable, cost-effective and fiscally responsible decision," said Edwards, whose group is made up of Clark County parents who lobby the School Board and Legislature on public school concerns. "Instead of throwing money away every month on rent the district owns something of lasting value."