In a remote part of Nevada, the dream of a new school building for the Owyhee community is slowly becoming a reality, despite significant financial hurdles and logistical challenges. With a $65 million allocation from the state in 2023, the project faced a funding gap due to rising construction costs and tariffs, prompting local tribes to initiate further fundraising efforts.
Chairman Brian Mason detailed the fundraising success, noting that the $7.8 million raised includes in-kind contributions, grants, and proceeds from a fundraising event in Elko. Thanks to legislation permitting tribal contributions to be matched dollar for dollar, this amount is effectively doubled, reaching approximately $15.6 million.
Construction efforts in Owyhee have been complicated by the location’s remoteness. The tribes have constructed temporary facilities, including housing and a laundromat, to support the workforce needed for the project.
Mason shared the emotional significance of the project, reflecting on the inadequate conditions the children currently face. “Those little kids… they didn’t know how bad they have it,” he expressed, anticipating the day when students will enter the new school building.
The approval process for the new school took considerable time. Mason noted, “It took two years to get anyone to even think about building up here because of the remoteness. And it took a while for Elko County to approve it because we were so short. And we assured them that we would be able to raise it and so far we are.”
Scheduled for completion in late spring 2027, the new Owyhee Combined School still requires additional funding, but Mason remains optimistic about meeting the financial needs.
Challenges of the Current Owyhee School
The existing Owyhee Combined School has long been plagued by health, safety, and infrastructure issues. Built in the 1950s, the school serves 300 students and suffers from inadequate maintenance, with problems such as failing heating systems, cracked windows, exposed heating pipes, and bat infestations.
Located near State Route 225, the school is also affected by environmental contamination concerns from hydrocarbon plumes, which tribal leaders link to high cancer rates in the community.
The Nevada Legislature’s 2023 session saw the passing of Assembly Bill 519, providing $64.5 million to Elko County School District for a new school and establishing a grant for rural and tribal school projects.
Despite this, the initial construction bids in 2024 attracted no offers, due to the remote location’s challenges. Legal and political obstacles also arose when a proposed property tax in Elko County, part of the funding solution, was successfully challenged in court. Tribal leaders plan to revisit the Nevada Legislature in 2025 to secure the remaining necessary funds.
