The current facility was built in the 1950s. It doesn’t have enough space for the growing student body. And its septic system could fail “any day,” said San Juan County School District superintendent Ron Nielson.
The district’s first choice, a small lot near State Route 163, abutted an ancient American Indian burial ground — making it unacceptable for many Navajo families whose kids make up roughly 90 percent of the school’s enrollment. After three years of heated debate and stalled construction plans, negotiations are again underway to secure a second site.