Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Voters Approve Millage Increase For School District

Getting a millage issue passed so renovations could be made to Prescott's three schools and a new gym could be built topped stories in 1999.

The idea was first brought forth by the Prescott School Board at its March meeting, as the panel talked about ways to improve the gymnasium.

It was first discussed to renovate the existing structure, but this, they learned, would run somewhere in the neighborhood of $900,000, while a new one could be built for $1.5 million.

From March until June, the board, meeting twice a month, discussed the possibility of getting a millage increase passed to raise the necessary funds to do the construction needed.

In addition, Superintendent Ron Wright said with a 3 mill increase for 25 years the district could not only build a new gym, but could do repair work to all three school buildings and other upgrades as well.

The board first considered a 20 year millage, but increased the time to insure enough money would come in to pay for the work done.

The David French and Associates Architect Firm of Hot Springs was hired to draw up plans for the construction of a new gym.

Rico Harris informed the board it would cost between $70-$75 per square foot to build a new gym.

The board, though, went ahead with plans for a millage hike, and planned to use the current gym as an indoor physical education facility when the new one is built.

The district formulated a battle plan to help get the millage passed. This included a telephone survey, with more than 40 people volunteering to make calls and tell people what was planned.

A blue ribbon campaign was also begun to show students need quality facilities in which to study, along with having the teacher's work harder to help the students bring up the scores of the standardized tests.

The renovations planned include roofing at all three schools, new heating and air conditioning units at Prescott Elementary and Prescott Middle schools, along with improving the restroom facilities at these two schools.

At Prescott High, the plans were to swap some classes around, making them more centralized and providing better security.

The new gym's lobby, Wright told the board, would be used as a lunchroom for PHS students, there by keeping them from having to use the one at PES.

Two public meetings were held to let the people of Prescott know of the district's plans and voice their opinions. The first meeting drew a large crowd, with the vast majority favoring the millage issue, while the second meeting had a much smaller, but enthusiastic gathering.

Those on hand at the meetings were told the renovation work for the three schools would cost about $750,000.

However, the people wanted to talk about a new gym at PHS more. Complaints were made about the lack of seating in the current gym, with the fans saying it can't handle the capacity crowds who come to see the Wolverettes and Curley Wolves play basketball.

It was also said the current gym is too small to allow the district to host regional basketball tournaments.

Preliminary plans for the new gym call for a seating capacity of about 2,000.

When election time rolled around on Sept. 21, voters overwhelmingly passed the millage.

The school board was in regular session at the time, and had to have the news brought in.

A cheer went up when the board was told the measure passed 560-249.

"It was a victory for Prescott and not just the district," Wright said.

At the November meeting, the board decided to put the $3.25 million generated from the bond issue in the Bank of Prescott.

However, this didn't set well with the Nevada County Branch Bank of Delight.

At the December meeting, Kent Hendrix, executive vice president with the NC Branch Bank of Delight, voiced displeasure at the district not asking his bank to "bid"

on the bonds, though it did purchase about 10 percent of them.

Hendrix asked the board to consider placing some of the money from the bonds in the local Bank of Delight.

The board will spend time in early January, 2000, touring other gyms of comparable size to help decide what kind of facility to build in Prescott.