MOSES LAKE - Construction activity could start as early as today at the site of the Moses Lake School District's transportation center on Yonezawa Boulevard.

District officials called on bus drivers and students to hold the shovels during a groundbreaking ceremony at the site Thursday afternoon. The district received the necessary building permits, and crews will bring in equipment and start putting up fences this week, said Mark Johnson, executive director of business and operation.

The final survey was Thursday, Johnson said, and the architect walked around the site with district officials Friday.

The new bus maintenance building will be in the middle of a massive parking lot for buses, with parking for cars along the west side. The facility will be located behind the new Grant County Skills Center.

The construction update was part of a special meeting of the Moses Lake School Board, which asked for information on both projects.

Dave Balcom, the district's executive director of secondary education, said the advertisement for bids goes out sometime in mid-September. District Superintendent Michelle Price said the current timeline calls for the bid opening in late October.

The skills center will be used by students from all Grant County school districts and Othello in Adams County. Students will receive advanced training in a number of skills, including construction, manufacturing and welding, pre-engineering, culinary arts and medical training.

Balcom said the committee working on the curriculum dropped the dental assistant training option and added global health classes. Board member Connie Opheikens asked why. Balcom said the committee talked to dentists in the area, and found most prefer to train their own assistants.

In addition, two other skills centers in the state couldn't fill their dental assistant class, Balcom said. Price said the global health curriculum includes advanced placement classes.

The culinary arts program will have a restaurant on site, which will replace the program's cafe downtown, Price said.