Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Rotary told of bond issues for Gurdon School District

Gurdon Public School Superintendent Bobby Smithson spoke to the Gurdon Rotary Club on Thursday, April 10, about the status of the bond issue and the school consolidation matter.

Smithson said the district will be holding a special election on May 20, to determine whether or not the option selected by the school board will pass.

Option 3 was selected by the board at a special held school board meeting in March. The Option states to ask voters to transfer 12.1 debt service mills to maintenance and operation and restructure three of the existing bond issues.

This option would enable the District to meet the 25 maintenance and operation millage requirements without a millage increase. This would be made possible by extending the repayment term on the 1998 and both 1999 bond issues and lowering the annual bond payment.

As a result, the required debt service millage would be reduced, thereby allowing a greater amount of debt service millage to be transferred to maintenance and operation.

As mentioned, the final payments on the 1998, March 1999 and October 1999 issues occur in 2018, 2015 and 2010 respectively. This option would extend the repayment term on these issues to the year 2022 and lower the District's total annual bond payment from the current level of approximately $568,000 to roughly $435,000.

This would reduce the required debt service millage and allow a total of 12.1 debt service mills to be transferred to maintenance and operation.

Smithson said if the option is not approved by voters, it would then go to the Quorum court for their decision. Smithson said he did not feel this is what the people want to do.

"We don't need a tax increase. It will be very sad if this option does not pass," Smithson said.

Smithson is keeping Gurdon citizens informed on any new information regarding the subject of school consolidation.

Smithson has been attending meetings concerning the topic for the past several weeks.

Smithson said he attended the last scheduled meeting this past Wednesday night. The group plans to begin meeting again in the next 12-13 weeks.

At this time the legislature is in the process of hiring someone or a group to do an adequacy study for the state. They are attempting to get the study completed by July 1, 2003.

Whoever is hired will have the job of determining what facilities each child should attend.

Smithson said, "I think we should be patient and try to stay informed, as to what our alternatives may be."

Smithson further said he hoped Gurdon didn't lose it's high school. "If we loose our high school, it is a matter of time before the middle school goes and then primary and then what will be left for Gurdon. We are fighting and trying everything we can. Our teachers are under a lot of pressure right now. We are sending four teachers to work shops this summer to train them in other areas to help meet the curriculum requirements made by Huckabee."

Rotary President and Gurdon Band Director, Alan Wimberly stood and told the crowd how proud he was to work with Smithson.

"This man could retire or leave at any time, but he continues to work for Gurdon and does it because he genuinely cares and I think he does a great job."