Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Student Numbers On Rise

Enrollment at the Emmet School District stands at 316.

The Emmet School Board, at its regular meeting Monday, Nov. 2, was informed there are 184 students in kindergarten through the sixth grade and 132 in grades seven through 12.

Both principals informed the board the recent parent-teacher conferences were successful, with some 79 percent of elementary parents showing up. Less were at the high school conferences.

Dr. Gene Ross, school superintendent, let the board know the district has spent $700,000 to date and has $549,000 left. This, though, he said, is up from the $475,000 from last month.

The budget category for teacher salaries, he said, will remain in the red all year, but this is nothing to be alarmed about. This is because all expenses are being paid out of the operating fund, with all other accounts balanced accordingly at the end of the year.

However, he said, there is no budget for the Chapter II program, yet the district received a grant check for it in the amount of $1,600.

Overall, Ross said, the revenue is up from what was originally budgeted.

The district, he continued, will have to upgrade its home economics course and add a fourth course. Currently three such courses are available to students.

However, as Frank Henson, EHS principal said in his report, there is start up money available for this program, and a room open to put the class in.

Ross said this can be done for next year, and won't cost the district anything as the start up money can be used to buy the necessary equipment for the class.

It was discussed to use room 2 for home ec as it was used in a similar capacity in years past and still has the utility connections needed.

Ross also informed the board the district has formally been released from its contract with McLelland Construction concerning the bus garage.

The district had contracted with McLelland, but the contractor couldn't get the job done as soon as the district wanted. This led to the mutual agreement to find another contractor.

Bids were let with Morton Building the only one to bite. The slab was poured by Sterne Construction, with Morton putting the building up.

The slab has been poured and building will soon commence. Ross said it will take about three days to get the building up and should be finished this week.

Henson, in his report, had talked about a $2,900 grant from Potlatch. He suggested the school use the money to buy new computers with it.

Ross put this before the board, with it agreeing to purchase three new computers with the grant funds.

The topic of ticket prices for basketball games was brought up, and subsequently raised.

For years, Ross said, tickets to Eagle games have been $2 for adults and $1 for students. But, with the cost of operating games rising, the ticket prices are out of line.

He suggested raising the price of adult tickets to $3, while leaving student prices at $1. The board agreed.

In other business, the board was told of a field trip to Old Washington State Park taken by elementary students.

It was the students, themselves, who gave the presentation, letting the board know how primitive things used to be in the old days.

The students, on the trip, learned how to grind coffee, visited an Indian village, saw several types of Native American artifacts, including spears, bows, arrowheads and tee pees.

They learned of the games children played back then, and how they used oil lamps and candles for light as there was no electricity.

The board was also informed there are two Artists-In-Residence at Emmet.

S.D. Youngwolf has brought the culture of Native America to the students, while Vicki Scott has been informing them about showing images within writing.

The board approved a field trip for elementary students to Klipsch Auditorium in Hope to see a performance of "Cinderella" on Nov. 10.