School officials want a look at Carson City tech center

MINDEN - School officials in Douglas County are studying the new high-technology center in Carson City because Douglas may want to have its own by 2003.

Douglas schools superintendent Pendery Clark said the Douglas school board recently toured the high-tech center, which is shared by Carson High School and Western Nevada Community College, and was impressed.

"The school board was very interested in this concept," she said of the idea that the colleges and high schools could share facilities, especially for technology and math-oriented subjects.

"After they saw the center, they were very excited," she said.

Assistant Dean Mike Hardie said a high-tech center could be built in Douglas within the next three years.

The 1999 Legislature approved a feasibility study for the center and could decide in 2001 to fund the project, he said. WNCC's five-year draft master plan calls for a high tech center in Douglas, which already has a campus of the community college.

On the wish list is a 30,000-square-foot building that would include a major open lab, six computer classroom labs, 11 general use classrooms including an engineering technology classroom, an interactive video classroom and six faculty offices.

The size could change, however, if funds would have to be shared for a high- tech center in Fernley, Hardie reported.

The center, though planned to be a cooperative venture with Douglas High school, would be built on land now belonging to the college.

On the 10-year draft master plan for WNCC Douglas is a third building of 30,000 square feet, which would house classrooms, labs, physical education facilities, library expansion, art rooms and seminar room. It would also feature an outdoor agriculture area and more parking.

WNCC eyes the acquisition of more land adjacent to the existing campus, Hardie added.

The Douglas campus of WNCC will continue to emphasize technology, business and general education.

Hardie said there is a strong possibility that WNCC Douglas will offer bachelor's degrees. He cited engineering technology as one of the likely four-year programs to be offered.