Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

State mandates for the Prescott school district

About two years ago, the state assessed all school districts and created a list of needs for each district. In Prescott, the total cost of all repairs and renovations recommended by the state came to more than $11 million. Prescott Superintendent Hyacinth Deon said the district wont complete every project on the list, but said there are some that are priorities and must be done.

The issue is complex and there are many points to consider, according to Deon and financial consultant Ray Beardsley, vice president of the Beardsley Public Finance company.

The mandates were given by the state and the state will help fund those projects. There are, however, some limitations on the amount and type of funding available.

For example, the percentage of funding the state will kick in depends on the number of students. The lower the districts enrollment, the less the state will contribute. Considering the fact that enrollment has declined over the past five years, Deon has said that putting off projects could ultimately cost the district more.

Beardsley said that the numbers on the states list of mandates were estimated by the state, and that the projects in many districts have been estimated higher than the actual price. He said that some districts have also discovered that priorities identified by the state turned out to be unnecessary  that the systems were actually in acceptable condition once the architects and other tradesmen looked at them more carefully.

Members of the school board have also discussed the fact that the cost of many of the projects may increase significantly over time. For example, the cost of oil-based products is currently rising very quickly. Cost of labor and other expenses may also increase, making some projects more expensive at a later date. Theres also the possibility that some problems can compound over time. For example, water leaking in through a bad roof can rot out decking and create more problems that can eventually be even more expensive to correct.

Deon told board members that shes certain that the district wont do every project thats on the list presented by the state. Additional sports fields and parking lots were on the states list, but Deon said the district simply cant hope to undertake those kinds of projects.

We just threw those out the window, she said. Theyre things we know we cant do.

Of the projects identified by the state, several were slated for completion before September of this year. The board voted earlier this month to borrow some $200,000 to pay for those projects that include emergency exit signs that will be illuminated even when theres no power in the building, surveillance cameras on all campuses and a roofing project at McRae Middle School. Other items on that list include electrical issues, plumbing, some exterior work and other roofing projects. Deon said she doesnt have a list of all the projects that are likely to be eliminated from the districts priority list.

Were not looking to do all those, she said. Just what it takes to get the kids dry and safe.

Another important point relating to the states participation in the funding projects is that the state will only help renovate buildings that meet certain standards. The state assigns a number based on the age and condition of the building. The number goes up as the condition of the building deteriorates. When that number reaches 65, the state will no longer help renovate. At that point, the state wants the district to replace the building.

Two of the districts buildings  McRae Middle School and Prescott Elementary School  have been assigned numbers higher than 50. The numbers will go down as renovations are made, but Deon said that without making repairs, the district would eventually be looking at zero participation from the state with regard to renovations on those buildings.