Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Five Seek Two Positions

There will be five candidates vying for two positions on the Gurdon School Board this year.

The election, scheduled for Sept. 15, will also give Gurdon-area electors the choice to vote for a three mill increase to be used for a new football stadium and other improvements.

The two incumbents both have opponents this year. According to information from the Clark County Clerk's Office, Charles Ledbetter, current Gurdon School Board president, has two foes Mike King and James Otwell.

Tommy Overbee currently has one opponent, Wanda Kuhn.

However, as Monday afternoon was the filing deadline for the petitions, other candidates could have turned their paperwork in as well.

The millage increase is being sought so the district can first build a new football complex near Gurdon High School. The funds generated from this tax will also be used to construct a physical education building for students in Cabe Middle School as well as getting some much- needed capital improvements at the Gurdon Primary School.

Preliminary dirt work on the football field has been done by the district, using fill dirt from work on the new CMS facility. Clark County Road Crews have also helped with the moving of dirt.

According to Gurdon Superintendent Bobby Smithson, until the district lost 40 students last year, plans for building a new stadium had been worked out so a new tax wouldn't be needed.

However, the loss of these students meant a decrease in state revenue to the tune of about $160,000.

The original plans, he said, were to used post-dated warrants for $250,000 and $100,000 from the district's operating fund until the project was paid off.

But, this plan did not include a PE building for CMS students. These students will be using the new gymnasium for their PE classes alongside high school students.

The district is also seeking a grant from the Horace C. Cabe Foundation for $150,000, but the foundation board won't meet again until October. This money would have been used in the construction of a PE building for CMS.

As it stands, Jeff Alexander, middle school principal, has been asked to schedule PE classes outside as often as possible. When inclement weather arises, the students will be inside studying health.