Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Enrollment up at Prescott; board gets construction news

Enrollment in the Prescott School District is up at the start of school from where it ended last year.

Prescott Superintendent Hyacinth Deon told the Prescott School Board the initial student population is 1,149, up from 1,077 at the end of the 2003 school year. This is an increase of 72 students.

According to Deon, five new students enrolled during the first week of school.

David Maxwell, Prescott Athletic Director, updated the board on construction underway. The construction is being done with funds from the restructuring of bonded indebtedness and millage increase passed in May.

Work on resurfacing the track is underway, he said, with all the vegetation having been removed from the exterior fence around Cummins Field. Additionally, the exterior fence has been removed, with the interior fence to be taken down. The exterior fence will be installed prior to the first Curley Wolf home game, Friday, Sept. 12, against the Hampton Bulldogs.

Discussing other construction, Maxwell said work in underway on the dugout at the James Johnson Complex where the Wolves baseball team plays, and work on the girl's softball field will begin soon. Hopefully, he added, the softball field will be ready when the Wolverettes begin their season next spring.

The Maroon-White game, he said, went well with fans bringing 165 videotapes to the game. There was also a like number of towels and soap brought to the intra-squad scrimmage.

"Everyone is getting antsy for football season to start," he said.

A late problem developed with the season, as Bismarck pulled out of playing a varsity schedule. This left the Wolves, and other 7AAA teams scrambling at the last minute to find a replacement game to fill the open date.

For Prescott, this would be the fourth game of the year. The Wolves coaching staff is in negotiations with an out-of-state school at this time.

The Lions opted to play a junior varsity schedule this season after a dismal 0-10 record in 2002. The Wolves posted a 60-14 pounding on Bismarck.

In other fall sports, Maxwell said the golf team is as strong as it's ever been with a total of 14 players, seven boys and seven girls. In fact, he added, there is a varsity and junior varsity golf team this year. There are five freshmen on the girl's team, and four freshmen on the boy's squad.

Pearl Bailey spoke on behalf of the Prescott District Education Association (PDEA).

The PDEA's theme for this year is "Great Public Schools: Our Children's Rights; Everyone's Responsibility".

The PDEA's goals for the year, she said, are to promote the public schools, research and distribute educational information, provide professional development to members and encourage a "together approach" to the concerns and challenges facing the school system.

Bailey updated the board on the PDEA's activities since school let out in May. She said Nicole Billingsley was awarded the Dorothy Odom Scholarship, with Billingsley now a freshman at Henderson State University.

June saw the members plan the 2003-2004 calendar, while the organization sent members to the Arkansas Education Association Leadership Conference in Fort Smith during July.

Those who attended met with educators from other states, and discussed education problems being faced today.

In August the PDEA had a school-wide assembly and awarded door prizes. The organization also had a luncheon for new employees on Aug. 15, and has a booth at the Nevada County Fair, where literature on education will be given away.

She said the PDEA plans on being more active in the community this year, and will have a banner placed in the Prescott Sports Arena.

In other business, the board opted not to hold an election as there are no opposed races and no other issues on the ballot. Patricia Blake is the only board member up for reelection, and she has no opponent.

Voters will be allowed to cast their ballots early or by absentee method.

The board approved a budget for the 2003-2004 school year, and adopted policies discussed at the July meeting.

Travel was approved for Prescott Elementary School Principal Howard Austin to go to Washington, D.C. for the National Distinguished Principal Program.

James Cannon was approved to attend a national conference in Orlando, Fla., in December, and the Region 4 Conference in San Antonio, Texas.

The board also entered into an agreement with the Debra G. Dunston Adolescent Treatment Center in Mt. Ida. This is done every year so the paperwork will be in place should the district need to send a student to the center.