Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

School Board voices opposition to county-wide district change

The Gurdon School Board voted Tuesday to unanimously pass a resolution to oppose Senate Bill 132, which is essentially a consolidation proposal in favor of a countywide school district with one county superintendent.

Superintendent Bobby Smithson said, "I have seen this coming for a long time and we need to get our voice of opposition out there before it is too late.

"Going to a countywide school district would effectively make local control of our schools a thing of the past."

In the resolution, the School Board sends the following message: 1) The bill would eliminate local administration offices and boards of education. 2) The distribution of local tax revenue would be distributed by a County Central Office and County Board of Directors. 3) All activities relating to school elections for individual board members and tax rates would be performed by the single County Wide Office.

4) Senate Bill 132 does not actually require consolidation of schools, the relocation of schools, closing of any facilities or the transportation of students. The bill, nevertheless, does not prohibit such action.

The Gurdon School Board, having considered Senate Bill 132, further finds such legislation is contrary to the needs of the Gurdon School District, and would dilute local control of the district and cut back on support from local patrons. This support is now used as a means to conduct a successful education program here.

The resolution confirms opposition by the Gurdon School Board for Senate Bill 132 because "it would eliminate the local board, and diminish the level of control currently enjoyed by the taxpayers, parents, and students in the Gurdon School District."

The resolution encourages voters in the Gurdon School District to inform legislators that Senate Bill 132 is against the best interest of this district.

In other business, Smithson told the School Board the budget is tight but he is optimistic about keeping expenses down and making an estimated end-of-the-school-year balance of $460,076.

In other financial concerns, Bonnie Ross, administrator of federal grants, said the $100,000 grant applied for to maintain the newly hired paraprofessionals fell through.

"We hired four paraprofessionals for the primary school and two for the middle school but the grant money only went for schools in third and fourth year of trouble with the state. Ours are in first and second year."

Ross said the funding for the paraprofessionals is secure for the remainder of the school year, but since the grant did not come through, the funding to keep the paraprofessionals for next year is not for certain.

"The state put the grant money in schools that are in more trouble than Gurdon," she said.

Rita Roe, Gurdon Primary School principal, said the four paraprofessionals at GPS have been helping prepare third, fourth and fifth graders to take Bench Mark tests.

"They have been doing an excellent job," she said. "But more than 50 percent of our students must score proficient to meet state standards. This amounts to 101 out of 185 students tested."

Libby White, principal of Cabe Middle School, told the board John Teague had a first place in the spelling bee, and McCally Harper, a sixth grader, came in second.

"As to our two paraprofessionals, the students seem to think this will help us prepare for the state tests," she said.

Superintendent Smithson said of the state testing standards, "The state has lofty goals and they keep raising the bar. We are looking at a future of remediation classes. We try our best to meet what the law requires, but its unrealistic and frustrating."

Moreover, the School Board has advertised to sell the lots near the old football field. Smithson said no bids have been received.

Smithson said the district applied for $22,274 to be funded from state Transitional Funds. Four out of five Gurdon projects did not qualify.

Grant money amounting to $1,870 was approved for the high school sidewalk. That amount covers 43 percent of the $4,351 cost of the sidewalk.

Moreover, the School Board voted to apply for a $650,000 grant for a kindergarten building addition.

That would be two kindergarten classrooms and toilets, two gifted and talented classrooms and toilets, and an art classroom and storage.

It would include a covered sidewalk to the elementary building wing.

The board discussed a need for a high school auditorium, but put it on secondary priority to the four classrooms. The latest estimate for an auditorium is $2 million. There is an existing fund of $500,000 toward building an auditorium.

School Board member Charles Bullard said, "As much as we need the auditorium, the four classrooms are needed more."

The board approved $6,000 to be spent on a new concession stand and restroom facility for the high school softball/baseball complex.

Smithson said, "The football concession stand and restrooms are located too far from the softball field.

"Utility lines are near this area. The building (about the size of a large bedroom) will be set on blocks, thus eliminating the expense of a concrete floor."

Smithson said he could have went ahead with the project, since it is under $10,000 but still wanted School Board approval.

The dimensions of the new concession and restroom building are to be 12 feet by 15 feet.