Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Classrooms Should Be Ready At GPS When School Starts

Classrooms at Gurdon Primary School should be ready to go by the first day of school, Aug. 19.

This, in spite of a spate of construction currently underway at GPS.

According to Gurdon Superintendent Bobby Smithson, the construction is coming along and the schedule with getting the classes done at GPS will be tight.

As of last week, carpeting needed to be laid down, with crews working day and night to complete the task.

However, Smithson said, the roof will not be done at this time. Money is in the budget to get the roof replaced, but the time frame is a problem.

Bids for the roof at GPS will be let this week, but it will take six months to have the roof installed. The new roof, he said, will be a 4-12 pitch and should last longer than flat roofs as rain and snow can't collect in pools, causing damage.

Originally, Smithson said, $800,000 was budgeted for the GPS renovations, with $200,000 set aside for the roof. According to the architect, this should be enough to re-roof the school building.

The pitched roof, Smithson said, will really change the look of the physical plant.

The new football field and stadium should also be finished by the time the Go-Devils play their first home game, the second week of the season.

While the bleacher forms are up, the seating remains to be shipped. Smithson, though, said it should be coming in soon.

Once in, it will only take a couple of weeks to install the seats.

The parking lot for the stadium is being paved at this time, while finishing touches are being put on at the new field house and concession stand.

One of the problems with the bleacher seating is the company the district contracted with to supply the metal pushed back the smaller orders in order to expand bleachers at a NASCAR track at Chicago.

Smithson said everything but the track should be ready by football season.

When the Devils host the Lake Village Beavers on Sept. 10, there will be inaugural ceremonies for the stadium. Gurdon had tried to get Lake Village to move the game to Saturday afternoon, Sept. 11, so more alumni could attend, but the Beavers refused to make the change.

The school district also supports the annexation issue to bring Gurdon High and Cabe Middle School into the city limits.

Smithson said he's heard many positive things about the annexation and believes it will pass this time.