Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Board Hears New Financial Plans

REBECCA S. COOPER

A special Prescott School board meeting was held in the high school's media center March 3.

It was attended by special guests from Raney and Beardsley, Inc., the school district's new financial advisors. A.V. 'Buster' Beardsley, president, and Mickey Roberts, vice president were at the meeting to give the board direction on how to find funds to make improvements at the three schools.

Roberts explained the steps involved in extensions of the current millage of 29.1 mills. These extensions could provide money that would become available within a year or two. At 29.1 mills Prescott is still below the state average, which is 32.13 mills, reported by the State Department of Education.

Roberts presented the board with in depth numbers and graphs to represent the different possible ways of paying for needed improvements.

All board members and guests agreed the first job is to procure the public opinion of "the most immediate need." If you have an opinion that you are willing to get behind, the Prescott School board encourages you to write, call, visit or fax in your thoughts on the subject.

There was lengthy discussion of bonds and issuance of bonds to produce the money.

Ron Wright, superintendent of the district, spoke of his desire to see if the community would like the roof of the elementary school redone. "When it rains," he said, "the teachers don't even need to call, because I know it's leaking all through the school with buckets in the hallways."

Roberts spoke of issuing a post dated warrant to make it possible to pay for the repairs as soon as possible, instead of having to wait. There was the discussion of a reimbursement resolution, which could provide monies to repair the roof within months instead of next year.

The board requested that Raney and Bearsdley draw up the papers on a reimbursement resolution, so there may be further discussion about it at the next school board meeting on March 16.

It was estimated that the roof may cost in the area of $73,000.

The firm continued to assist as the board conveyed interest in the cost estimates of either renovating the old gym at the high school, building a new gym or possibly redoing the antiquated science lab at the high school.

Deciding that the action to be taken was to ask the public for the level of enthusiasm in getting behind such weighty projects. The board members are concerned that every campus is receiving monies for its respective use.

Board member Jim Franks will be gathering, along with the Roberts and Beardsley, information concerning the precise bill in the legislature that may affect the district's current debt or any future debts.