Construction on Fernley High School’s single-point-of-entry project and culinary and commons improvements is scheduled to begin after the end of the school year and continue into the fall.
The Lyon County School District Board of Trustees issued a Notice to Proceed on April 28 when it unanimously approved a $4,088,629 guaranteed maximum price agreement with CORE Construction.
CORE Construction will manage the project under the construction-manager-at-risk delivery model, working with the district during design and guaranteeing the project will be completed within an agreed-upon maximum price.
Under a guaranteed maximum price agreement, the district will not pay more than the approved amount unless the project scope changes. Any costs above the guaranteed maximum price are the responsibility of the contractor.
The project includes three primary components: a new single point of entry at the front of the school, a complete renovation of the culinary classroom, and reconfiguration of the commons and cafeteria areas.
Executive Director of Operations Harman Bains told trustees the final project cost came in “meaningfully above” the district’s original estimate of $2.5 million.
Bains said the increase was largely driven by the need to redesign the culinary space after district staff and consultants determined the original layout would not support an effective instructional program.
District facilities staff, curriculum personnel, Paul Cavin Architects, Grace Design and CORE Construction all reached the same conclusion during the design process.
“In order to present something that would actually be meaningful and useful for not only Fernley High School, but for the staff to teach in it and the students to learn in it, we had to readjust what we were envisioning for that kitchen,” Bains said.
To better understand program needs, district staff toured culinary programs with similar square footage at other schools.
Those visits showed Fernley’s kitchen would require additional student workstations and a layout that allows instructors to demonstrate techniques while students work at their own stations.
The revised design includes four additional stoves, four new ventilation hoods, expanded roof work, a larger grease-trap system and additional utility improvements.
Bains said those changes accounted for most of the increase in project costs.
He noted that this is the district’s first culinary program designed from the ground up and that additional planning was required to create a space that reflects real-world restaurant operations.
The project also includes significant storefront construction as part of the new single point of entry.
Bains said storefront materials have become increasingly expensive in Northern Nevada and are subject to lengthy delivery timelines, contributing to overall costs.
He noted that the planned entrance project at Dayton High School faces similar challenges.
The project will also reconfigure existing interior space.
The current cafeteria contains several partitioned offices that do not extend to the ceiling.
Those offices will be relocated to the commons area near the old gym using a similar layout.
The cafeteria area will then be converted into classrooms with full-height walls.
District officials have not yet designated specific programs for the new classrooms and intentionally left the space flexible for future needs.
According to the construction schedule, CORE Construction will use Microsoft Project Professional to manage scheduling and provide monthly updates.
Work will generally occur from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The schedule includes allowances for anticipated weather delays, with additional time extensions granted only if delays exceed those projections.
The district expects substantial completion of the single-point-of-entry, entrance and commons areas by Sept. 1, allowing those portions of the building to be used shortly after the start of the school year.
The first day of the 2026-27 school year is Aug. 20.
The culinary renovation is expected to reach substantial completion by Oct. 16.
Bains said the revised design was developed to ensure the facility is both functional and meaningful for students and staff.
The layout will allow students to work at individual stations while maintaining clear visibility of instruction through live demonstrations and overhead cameras that project onto classroom screens.
Dayton High School Assistant Principal David Palmer, a former culinary arts instructor, said the video system is necessary because it is unsafe for a class of 25 to 28 students to crowd around a cooking demonstration.
The board’s approval of the guaranteed maximum price allows CORE Construction to move forward with procurement and scheduling ahead of the planned June 12 construction start date, which coincides with the final day of the school year.
The district will monitor progress through monthly schedule updates and coordinate with CORE Construction on any adjustments needed because of weather or material delivery timelines.
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