Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

New gymnastics room should be ready by Feb. 4

Superintendent, Bobby Smithson, reported on the progress of the Gymnastics/Cheerleader room under construction on the Gurdon School grounds.

Smithson told the Gurdon School Board he hoped to move into the new room during the week of February 4-8.

The building has been estimated to cost $40,086 which is $25.06 per square foot.

Smithson also reported the Arkansas State Board of Education reduced high cost transportation aid, by $2 million. This is a reduction of 40 percent which means the districts transportation will loose $11,600 aid.

Last year the district received $29,091 and was reduced to $17,491 this year.

The school districts budget estimate for tax income has been disappointed by an income difference of $77,455 below the budget estimate of $154,980.

This means the district must collect $77,455 above the budget of $50,000 in delinquent taxes. That would make the total number of delinquent taxes $127,485.

Last year the district collected $79,362 in delinquent taxes. The district won't know an actual amount however until July 1, 2002.

Smithson also saidd the new baseball field is almost finished and he hopes to have games on the new field this spring.

Smithson reported the cost of the field being $15,605.45. Smithson said this amount was a little higher than anticipated. However, most of the construction work was done by the school personnel.

Smithson also said the figure did not include the cost for lighting, new bleachers or a press box. Smithson said these are items the school hopes to purchase next year. He also said a scoreboard had been ordered because it would be needed for this year's season.

The Gurdon School District has recently requested a grant from the U.S. Department of Education in the amount of $36,000. This money will be used to renovate 2,300 square feet of the old vocational building located next to the old Gurdon High School.

The Gurdon School Board has adopted a new policy on mandatory tutoring and/or summer school.

The policy states: Any student who is in danger of failing, grades K-12, will be required to participate in after school tutoring and/or summer school.

Parents of students, who are failing, will be contacted by the school officials of their children's status at the appropriate time intervals. Failure to comply with the policy will result in the students being retained at the same grade level K-8 and/or repeating the subject in grades 9-12.

The school administration will assess each individual student's record and reserves the authority to make any and all exceptions to the policy.

The school board and administration hopes this will involve students and their parents to try harder.

The next school board will be held Monday, February 18, 2002, at the Cabe Student Center at the high school.