Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Nevada School Celebrates 10 Years (cont) (cont)

te a new school housing kindergarten through grade 12 at a location nearest the geographical center of the combined school district; all the assets and liabilities would be absorbed by the newly created district; a new superintendent would be named by the board; the present five superintendents would become assistant superintendents, with assignments being made by the board; all existing programs at the five school would continue as they were at the present; and all the certified and non-certified personnel would be employed for the 1985- 86 school year.

The pre-annexation agreement stated that the board, even though selected from each of the five former districts, would be voted on district-wide. It was previously agreed that the superintendent would come from without the present school system.

New Board Appointed

A meeting was held June 11 to appoint five members one each from the five school districts involved in consolidation. At the meeting it was also determined which of the board members would have five years, four years, three years, two years and one year. It was also determined that the member with only one year remaining would become president of the board. The five board members selected were the same five who served on the steering committee. No one was named from Rosston, since it was still a part of the Prescott District.

By a drawing it was determined that Bobby Overton of Laneburg received one year, Davis Benton of Cale two years, Gaylon Waters of Willisville three years, Wade Mendenhall of Oak Grove four years, and Richard Rowe of Bodcaw five years. These were qualified to run for their respective position in the March 1986 school election, in addition to anyone else who wanted to run. The terms would be from one year to five years as the drawing of the lots indicated.

From that time on, only one board member has been and will be elected and that for a five-year term. Overton became president, Benton vice president and Waters secretary.

Even though the board could not begin in its capacity until July 1, it asked for several things to get started: 1) a search for a new superintendent begin; 2) several site selections should be picked close to the middle of the district; 3) begin seeking a location for the office of the new superintendent; 4) look at the teachers' salaries immediately in July. In addition, a few other suggestions were made.

Rosston Petition Presented To Withdraw From Prescott

Cross and Dillard, along with other patrons from the Prescott District in the Rosston area, presented a petition bearing the signatures of 2,167 patrons which called for the release of the former district so it could become a part of the new school district July 1.

The ones gathering the signatures had been told it would take only 51 percent of the patrons, or 2,147 signatures, to obtain the release.

County Clerk Nell Grifford verified and certified the number of signatures.

The decision later was left up to the County Board of Education.

Some members of the new Nevada (although this was not the name yet) School board indicated that Rosston should not be included in the annexation with the other five school districts. It was further clarified that they could not assume that Rosston was to be released by Prescott, and therefore, it could not be included until it was.

The general feeling by then was that the new school facilities would probably be built in or near Rosston. However, it could not be built in another school district, and Rosston was in the Prescott District.

Cross made a plea with the Prescott board on June 24, at its meeting. He asked them to present the petition to the County Board of Education. He also indicated if the Prescott board did not act fast that the patrons would present it to the County Board.

Prescott Sought Compensation For the Old Rosston District

Glenn Vasser, president of the Prescott board, and Bill Shirron met with the new board the first week in July and told them that a land swap along the district's line joining the new district would be considered in return for the Rosston district. Benton of Cale and Overton of Laneburg, the two districts that it would affect, both said they would not be willing to swap the land for Rosston. Rowe of Bodcaw made the same statement for any land. Mendenhall reminded the board that twice before the board had tried to meet with Prescott and had not been able to; he said he would not be willing to trade any of the district.

The exchange of land would help compensate the Prescott District around $22,000 to $25,000 a year, which is estimated to be what the old Rosston District brings into the Prescott District.

Cross appealed to the board to consider the offer, but stated, "We're not asking you to give up any of the Cale or Laneburg Districts."

The Rosston group did present a plan similar to the pre-annexation agreement made by the five former districts. The plan to include Rosston was to be taken up at the next meeting.

Rosston Accepted

In a 3-2 split decision by the new board, the former Rosston District was accepted "after it is free and clear of Prescott." Overton, Benton and Mendenhall voted to accept Rosston; Waters and Rowe voted against.

Several reasons were given (for te split vote), two of them were: 1) Prescott any also file a petition seeking boundary changes in the district; and 2) the pre-annexation agreement called for five board members, while Rosston was asking for a member also. Dillard reminded the board to "just be fair."

Nevada School District

The board also officially named the new school district the Nevada School District #1.

In a complicated swearing-in July 1, 1995, four board members of the Laneburg District had to resign with replacements being Mendenhall, Waters, Benton and Rowe. Under the Laneburg board, Overton had a two-year term. Therefore, he swapped with Benton, who got the one year term just a reverse of what they were.

The board named James Ed Martin, who had been superintendent of the Bodcaw School District, the interim superintendent until one could be hired. They also hired Janice Porter as secretary to Martin.

Two Petitions Presented To County Board

The Rosston petition, in the meantime, had been presented to the County Board of Education for its consideration. But the Prescott board also submitted to the County Board a petition seeking a boundary change for compensation for the old Rosston District if the Rosston petition should be accepted by the board.

The Rosston petition asked that the County Board not to take any land away from the Nevada School District.

Dr. Thomas Woolbright Is Named Superintendent

On July 15, the Nevada School board agreed to hire Dr. Thomas Woolb