Kids all over the county may be looking forward to a few weeks off from school for the holidays, but their absence from class is just a chance for the Nye County School District Maintenance and Operations crew to get some work done safely on various projects.

Having the students gone from campus allows the crew to complete projects without worrying about safety issues or interrupting classes.

First on the list is the continued reparation of the gym floor at Pahrump Valley High School.

Heavy rains on Friday, Nov. 30, resulted in the floor being completely flooded, with water even being soaked up by the dry wall several feet off the floor.

Bob Whimpey, director of maintenance operations, said the flooding was due to the gym being below grade level and drains getting clogged with leaves and debris that were washed in by the rain.

"We really didn't know how much damage there was," Whimpey said.

He said he knew it was really bad and there was water underneath the boards when the floor started to warp.

The repairs, however, have been moving along swiftly.

The dry wall surrounding the floor has already been repaired and is painted. Installation of the new floorboards began on Monday.

Also at Pahrump Valley High School over the break, a new camera security system will be installed. The new system is part of a pro-active approach by the district to combat vandalism, break-ins and other problems common to schools throughout the year.

Mt. Charleston Elementary will also have a little work done over the break as the maintenance crew puts in a conduit for the new phone system there.

Other projects that are continuing include the installation of new grandstands for the high school football team.

Whimpey said the current 600-seat grandstand was being taken apart so it could be brought up to code and put on the visitor's side of the field.

The new grandstands will seat up to 1,500 people and have a larger press box.

They are expected to installed by March 10.