Nick and Lisa Rail (right and center) receive a standing ovation after donating 100 musical instruments to Del Norte schools in January. Photo: Jessica Cejnar

Nick Rail returned to his roots when he donated 100 musical instruments to Del Norte schools in January.

Now, the music retailer, who attended Del Norte schools in the 1950s and 60s, and his wife, Lisa, have planted the seed for a performing arts center, pledging $1 million to get the project started.

“One thing everyone wants is a modern well-equipped place to rehearse, perform and enjoy the arts — a performing arts center built on the high school campus,” Rail told trustees with the County Board of Education on Thursday. “The students’ education requires it, the community needs it, and that’s why I’m here — to introduce some ideas on how this project could be achieved.”

Rail said he would work with Del Norte Unified School District, which also governs the county office of education and the Wild Rivers Community Foundation. A fundraising campaign will focus on obtaining government and foundation grants along with private donors, he said.

There would also be an endowment established for facility maintenance, Rail said.

In January, the Rails established the Nick and Lisa Rail Fund, which, along with the musical instruments, has since paid for stage lighting at the Crescent Elk Auditorium and established a musical instrument repair shop at DNHS.

According to Rail, the repair shop provides career-technical education classes in musical instrument repair and contributes to the maintenance of those the district owns.

With the performing arts center, Rail said, the goal is for it to house roughly 800 people and serve as a venue for student activities and community organizations like Lighthouse Repertory Theatre, the Del Norte Association of Cultural Awareness and the Community Concerts Association.

For-profit uses would come third, Rail said.

“If we want to book the Rolling Stones, then they have a shot at it,” he said. “But otherwise, if the students have a performance, they have priority.”

Though it’s the first time trustees have heard about the proposed performing arts center, DNUSD Superintendent Jeff Harris said he and Rail have discussed the idea with former DNHS band teacher, Christie Lynn Rust, and her current band director, Dan Sedgwick.

Harris said he plans to bring a proposed resolution and a memorandum of understanding between the district and the Rails to the Board of Trustees in August.

A feasibility study and a fundraising campaign will also be necessary, though Lee Howe, who graduated from Del Norte High School in 1967, said they don’t want to take away from community donations that would go to other local causes.

“We don’t want to be robbing Peter to pay Paul,” he said. “There may be people that are giving now to other organizations within the county, we want to see that continue. It’s our job to get the money from outside the county.”

Sedgwick called the proposed performing arts center a game changer.

“This isn’t just going to help the high school, but the whole community,” he said. “We all know what graduation’s like when it rains. It would truly amazing to have the facility to house events like this. It’ll just be amazing.”

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