Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Enrollment climbs slightly for Gurdon schools

School across the district is off to a good start, according to Gurdon Superintendent Bobby Smithson. Smithson said student enrollment is up, as are fuel prices. Smithson took time to offer a brief overview of the status of several district issues.

Student enrollment for the 2006-2007 school year, as of Thursday, Aug. 24, is up by 10 from this time last year.

Gurdon Superintendent Bobby Smithson said this years total for kindergarten through grade 12 is 861 students, as compared to 851 for last fall.

"But it may be after Labor Day before our numbers settle," Smithson said. "We are hoping to get a few more."

As to the start-up of school, Smithson said things are going well overall. However, the high school still needs a biology teacher.

"We have one that is interested but we wont know anything for certain about that person taking the job for another few days," Smithson said.

There is also a need for an aid to help with the Hispanics on the high school campus, a position available for a high school math aid, and for two aids at the primary school.

"Maxine Weems has requested a semester off as the aid at the high school media center so we need someone to fill in for her," he said.

As to improvement projects, the school system is taking bids through the middle of September for the construction of the four new classrooms at primary school. Smithson said the classes will take six to eight months to build once construction starts.

"I still anticipate them being ready for use by the fall of 2007," he said.

The second project in the works is a new high school auditorium.

Although Smithson said funds for that project are still around $400,000 short of meeting building expenses, he has high hopes the project funding will be resolved and construction of the auditorium can get under way in January.

At the primary school, materials for covering the new pavilion arrived Aug. 24. Terry Hughes Construction, of Gurdon, is expected to have it installed within a few days.

Smithson said the new concession stand near the high school baseball and softball field is finished but electricity is not hooked up.

"It will be ready to go by the time softball season gets here," he said.

Smithson said fuel costs for the school system is a concern, but the budget allows for gasoline prices increasing to $3.20 a gallon.

He said the district uses 85,000 gallons of gasoline and diesel together, with an estimated cost for this school year of $98,000.

According to Smithson, fuel cost estimates have risen sharply over the past two years for the district.

"We increased fuel cost estimates by 26 percent last year," he said. "Estimates have gone up about 50 percent for the two-year period."

Smithson said the only other significant change that comes to mind for this school year is the addition of Resource Officer Thomas Free, who is also a Clark County deputy.

"If there have been any discipline problems with Officer Free involved so far this year, I have not been made aware of them," Smithson said. "I think Officer Free is being accepted by our students and everything about that transition has been smooth."