Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Nevada School Celebrates 10 Years

This year will mark the tenth anniversary of the opening of the Nevada School at Rosston.

The district was formed in 1986. It officially became a new district with new board members July 1, 1986. However, a lot of studies went into the annexation of five school districts before that day. In addition, a sixth (former) school district was later brought into the new district.

This week, the special occasion will be celebrated after the homecoming games between the Nevada and Emerson senior teams.

Homecoming celebration will precede the games at 5:15. The first game will be the senior boys, which will begin at 6:00. The senior girls will play the last game.

A reception to commemorate the tenth anniversary will follow the games. The reception will be held in the cafeteria.

There will be no speeches. Cake, cookies and punch will be served to all who join in the celebration.

In 1988, when the new school opened, the following article gave a summary of the events leading up to the big day. Although lengthy, the story is actually a brief history (after a few details about the dedication of the building) of the reason of the school district, beginning with the first meeting in 1984.

Gov. Bill Clinton and Dr. Ruth Steele, director of general education of the State Department of Education, will be the keynote speakers.

Tours of the building will take place between 3:00 and 4:30. The official dedication should be finished around or just after 6:00.

This list of people invited to attend is a long one:

• Hillary Clinton, wife of the governor;

• All former superintendents of the five school districts that comprise the new district;

• Representative Grady Arrington, State Senator Mike Kinard and former State Senator Bill Henley;

• Members of other school boards and administrators of the districts within the county;

• Elected city and Nevada County officials;

• Representatives from the Prescott-Nevada County Chamber of Commerce;

• Other members of the State Department of Education and other government offices;

• The general contractors and local contractors who had a part in the construction of the new facilities;

• Members of the two architectural firms who designed the structure and;

• A host of local school-affiliated parties, as well as members of local industry.

  (Introduction of guests and other remarks will be presented by Dr. Barney Kysar, superintendent of district, the five board members, former school superintendent Dr. Tom Woolbright, and Reed McConnel of Little Rock, who used to teach at Cale and who has made contributions to the present district.

The Nevada School District is made up of five former school districts Bodcaw, Cale, Laneburg, Oak Grove and Willisville.

Talks Began In July 1984

The road to annexation of the five former districts began July 12, 1984, when members of the board of the seven school districts in the county came to Prescott to discuss the upcoming new state standards and to see what could be done about meeting them. They met in the Prescott High School Library. Several officials from the State Department of Education were present.

Another meeting was held in August in the Rosston Baptist Church, to a near capacity crowd. Sen. Bill Henley committed himself to help the districts if they should consolidate.

Emmet-Laneburg Talks Fail

From that meeting, annexation of the five districts began to take shape. The Emmet District and the Laneburg District had tried to talk about consolidation, but the talks failed. Emmet decided to try to stay separated from the future meetings concerning annexation.

Also from that meeting merged Jim Cross and B.C. Dillard. They both lived in the Prescott School District. Dillard was and is mayor of Rosston, and Cross lives just north of Rosston. Their families and several others made up what once was the old Rosston School district, but had been consolidated many years ago with Prescott.

Cross and Dillard both became active in the annexation talks of the five former districts. They also began seeking a release from the Prescott District. Some of their actions became controversial; they often were criticized by some and praised by others.

Talks among the concerned school boards continued. After another meeting in the Rosston Baptist Church, the meetings were scheduled to take place independently, as separate five school districts. Sen. Henley, always involved, had another meeting with the five school districts early in 1985 in Prescott at the Farm bureau building.

Prescott Dropped As Possible Annexation Partner

The consolidation with Prescott had been suggested from the beginning, but as the other boards met, Prescott was seen as the last attempt only.

All the meetings were open to the public. Sometimes the rooms were completely filled; other times just a handful of patrons were present. Many at the time still thought the districts could continue as they had in the past, but from the beginning, it was determined by most that if the schools were to meet the standards, they had to consolidate.

Laneburg patrons took the first stand. Early in March of 1985, patrons of the districts presented nearly 300 signatures to the board expressing their desire to consolidate with the other four districts other than with Prescott. At least one board member was accused of trying to work out a deal to consolidate with Prescott. Another warned the group they were working too fast (by committing themselves to consolidate).

In the March school elections that year Davis Benton was elected to the Cale board. He now represents that district on the present board of education.

Incentive Money Increases

Also in March, a special legislative session was held. The legislature passed an act that gave schools more incentive money for consolidation. Sen. Henley urged the five districts to meet with the State Department of Education to see how much state aid the five districts could get upon consolidation.

In the meantime, state officials reported that if school districts wanted to take advantage of the full amounts of the incentive money, consolidation must take place before July 1, 1985.

(As a side note, March was when the standards began: all teachers in the state had to take tests.)

Steering Committee Appointed

In April of 1985 a steering committee, comprised of one board member from each of the five school districts involved and one from Rosston, were asked by Sen. Heley to begin meeting in an effort to work out the consolidation agreement.

The five appointed were Gaylon Waters from the Willisville District; Wade Mendenhall from Oak Grove; Bobby Overton from Laneburg; Davis Benton from Cale; and Richard (Toby) Rowe from Bodcaw. Ji