Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Nevada personnel hosts emergency drill

Making sure emergency procedures are in place and will work properly in a crisis was done at a disaster drill at the Nevada school Monday, Aug. 12.

Rick McAfee, Nevada superintendent, said the drill was done during teacher in-service, showing how the building is to be evacuated.

A series of scenarios were presented to the teachers and administrators by Jim Cross, Nevada County Emergency Coordinator. The scenarios included a plane crashing into the building and accidents in the chemistry lab.

Because the district is isolated, McAfee said, it will take emergency crews about 20 minutes to arrive, and the district's personnel must be able to handle such situations in the meantime.

"We're looking at setting up CPR classes, because we need as many as possible to handle a crisis if one occurs," he said.

"The plan isn't perfect yet, and the next drill will include student participation," McAfee continued, "along with the Nevada County Sheriff's Office and Nevada County Ambulance Service, along with area fire departments.

"We're trying to develop a plan so it's not for individuals but for positions, so if one person is unable to do what's needed someone else can take over."

Cross wasn't available to talk to the Nevada School Board at its regular monthly meeting Thursday, Aug. 15, because he was conducting in-service for the district's bus drivers.

McAfee said the district now has nine routes, down from 11, covering 305 square miles daily. Nevada, he told the board, provides transportation for 96 percent of the students.

The state government has cut the transportation budget more than50 percent in the last four years, requiring districts to pick up more and more of these costs from their operations budgets.

McAfee said representatives from Blue Cross/Blue Shield recently visited the campus to talk about changes in the district's insurance policy.

What it boiled down to is the deductible and co-pay were raised, thereby costing the employees more to be insured.

The district now has a "smart board", McAfee said. It will be demonstrated for the board at the September 19 meeting.

This board, he said, was purchased with a $5,000 grant the district obtained through the Southwest Arkansas Educational Cooperative. An image is projected onto the board, he said, and markers or a person's finger can be used to do other work. When markers are used, however, they show up on whatever color they are.

The board approved a tuition agreement with the Emmet School District for the year.

McAfee said state law requires this be done every four years, but prefers doing it annually at Nevada as a precaution.

In discussing the budget for 2002-2003, McAfee said it would be close, with adjustments made as the year progresses.

Teacher's salaries have been reduced $138,000, but still make up the largest part of the operation's budget.

Because of cuts at the state level last year, he said, the district was forced to reduce its budget by $180,000. The proposed budget was based on zero growth for the coming year.

The board also passed the special education budget of $130,000, with the district expected to receive an additional $62,000 in Title VI-B funds.

This money, though, can only be used for special education, though it does include salaries for instructors, aides, equipment and therapists.

The district will likely have to buy a new bus this year, he said, but the federal government has a zero percent loan available. This loan will be examined and evaluated to see if it's feasible for the district.

In other business, the board accepted the resignation of Lindsey Whatley, and reassigned Lu Hilliard to the sixth grade, from the fifth grade. In addition, Janice Callicott was moved to the fifth grade slot from her job as seventh grade social studies teacher.

Callicott's former position will be advertised, with qualified candidates interviewed.

Bobby Mullins was also reassigned, with his new duties being the head coach of the junior and senior boys basketball teams.