Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Board sets rules for homecoming party

Setting rules for the upcoming homecoming dance was a priority of the Emmet School Board during its Dec. 3, meeting.

The meeting opened with concerns from the public. One thing discussed was the upcoming Homecoming Dance. The dance will be held on December 9, from 9-11p.m. Admission will be $1 and will be for Emmet students only from grades 7-12.

The school board passed a motion that states: "if you leave the dance you must leave the parking lot as well."

The Homecoming Parade will be December 6 beginning at 4:30 p.m., and will begin in the school parking lot.

The Emmet Eagles Boys will take on Sparkman, Friday evening at 6 p.m. at Ross Gymnasium. Students will get out of school at 2 p.m. this day to prepare for homecoming activities.

Another topic discussed was the peewee basketball season. Kelvin McClellan, parent director of the Peewee League, requested using the gymnasium during the remainder of the school semester.

The board approved two days the Peewee League can use Ross Gymnasium to practice. McClellan wants to get some practices in so the kids can familiarize themselves better with the game.

"This year we are going to try to create a 2nd and 3rd grade co-ed teams, and let them play each other. It will give them the chance to get the routine of playing down," he said.

It will also give the children a chance to be active and the parents to see their specials ones play basketball. The specific times were not determined as far as when the practices will be, but they could be as soon as next week.

"The actual games will be played possibly in the middle of January," said McClellan. Anyone interested in participating should consult with McClellan.

In financial news, the school district received an approved CD for $200,000. Of this, $100,000 was removed for cash, according to Ross, the school superintendent. The current school balance is $874,000.

Ross said with the recent cuts announced last month, the school district will suffer a net loss $25,000 in assistance. He also said, "It's not as bad as it looked because some schools lost unimaginable amounts going into the hundreds of thousands of dollars."

The bottom line amount levels off to about $100 per student.As far as the talks of school consolidation goes, the superintendent said he's not heard anything concrete. It's still an issue with no clear immediate end in sight.

The Elementary School Report shows an enrollment of 174 students from grade K-6.

The Elementary Christmas program is December 13, at 7 p.m. in the Ross Gymnasium.

Semester tests will begin December 17-18. Students will be dismissed at 2 p.m. on both days. The Christmas holidays will be December 19, through January 2, 2002.

Shade Gilbert, Emmet high school principal, announced a letter received stating there will be cuts in the annual Arkansas state scholarships and grants normally offered due to recent cuts.

"The current scholarships already awarded will not be touched," he said. The education department is looking into alternatives to aiding those students who wish to attend college, university, or trade school after high school.

Another thing discussed was a potential trip to Dallas, Texas, funded by the school. There is a medieval festival in Dallas the student body wanted to participate in. They would have the opportunity to watch jousting matches, learn about medieval Europe, and have a medieval banquet in the afternoon. Because of time constraints, travel, and recent attacks in Washington, D.C. and New York City the board denied the field trip. The school board decided it would be in the students best interest and safety to wait for any long field trips.

The 11th and 12th grade would make the journey to and from in one day.

The final point of business covered was the establishment of a future building. The school district got monies to build a tornado proof building on the campus. Jerry Simmons, of Twin Rivers Architecture in Arkadelphia, will be the architect of the new building.

Constructional costs will exceed $627,000. The district will fund 12 percent of the construction costs. Ross said, the cost, from the school's end is a win-win situation because it will be repaid for their spending.

Simmons expects to begin construction in early February 2002. He said, the walls will be 12-inches thick and the ceiling will be four-inches thick with a metal deck for support. The building is projected to be 68 feet by 62 feet. The building will be a shelter with retractable walls to change into classrooms.

Ross would like to be able to house the entire population of Emmet.

Simmons and Ross agreed there is still much needing to be covered concerning the construction.

Simmons didn't want to create anything the state would not pay for. "Dr. Ross and I met with people from the state and quizzed them over what they would and would not pay for," said Simmons.

Simmons hopes to have altered plans on the school building at the next board meeting.