Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

School Board reviews sports budget

Gurdon's Public School System lost money over the past year on sporting events, but the superintendent said at Tuesday's School Board meeting the $22,000 budgeted to offset the loss "should take care of the problem."

Superintendent Bobby Smithson said, "Our football awards have been paid for, but there will be some other invoices. We knew sports would run at a loss, but the kids need these programs.

"The sports programs were here long before I was superintendent and will probably be here long after I am gone."

Smithson said there has been a lot of discussion on the state level to cut athletics, but he has no intention of cutting sports from the Gurdon school budget.

"I feel like our program stayed within the guides of what we expected in expense and that means our sports are doing good," he said.

In other business, the board heard a report from Pam Runyan, third grade teacher at the Gurdon Primary School.

Runyan, who took 10 students to district science fair on Friday, May 13, was proud of the children's accomplishments.

Among demonstrations done at the School Board meeting, Trent McDowell, a third grader who received a first place and third place overall for defying gravity, demonstrated how an item can appear to be going up when it is really going down.

"Two funnels look like they are going up the ramp," he said.

Runyan said this is the second year for the primary school to participate in a science fair. It was held at Henderson State University.

"Counting parents, grandparents and friends, we had 22 at Pizza Hut," she said. "A teacher from another school complimented us on how well behaved our kids and adults were. That made my day."

Cabe Middle School teacher Debbie Davis talked to the School Board about her section on animals.

She had students explain their pet fair experience on May 6 and what they learned about animal abuse.

Seventh graders Jenna Hurst and Regan Renfro were among those who learned why there are laws against animal cruelty.

Davis said there were 26 dogs entered in the pet fair.

Bonnie Ross, federal programs coordinator, told the School Board how CMS is involved with the Cow Board. This is a community bulletin board so teachers know what each other is doing and a team effort can be applied when appropriate.

"We will have Cow Boards for fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grade; one each," she said. "They also have 30 minutes every day for team efforts, where parents are called if necessary for discipline or for fun issues."

Linda Bullard, the math teacher, said Cow Bell instills cooperation. Ross said the fourth phase of Cow Board will happen next year when an effort will be made to get the community involved.

Pat Talley, representing the teachers, told the Board about changes the teachers are requesting for next year.

She gave them a handout for review and asked them to vote on the issues in June.

"One of the issues," she said, "is a request for teachers to be paid by the 25th of the month to avoid late payments on monthly bills."

Other issues include a new nepotism policy, that involves rules about hiring family members.

"In-service training speakers are expensive," she said. "We are requesting teachers not be allowed to take any more personal days on the days of in-service."

Talley said the most interesting change made by the state is that each school must now provide a 30-minute, duty free lunch for each certified employee.

"We will have to have staggering lunch periods to do this," she said.