Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Results Of Survey Given By PHS Principal

Prescott School board members studied Stanford Achievement Test-8 (SAT) scores during its regular board meeting Tuesday, February 20.

Prescott Middle School (PMS) principal Jim Gober told the board the tests scores were the responsibility of the teachers, students and parents.

He said PMS counselor Judy McCauley went over the tests scores with each student.

Students in fifth and eighth grades were tested this fall.

Their tests scores were compared with scores of the students from the previous spring.

Prescott High School (PHS) counselor Donald Crane said scores for PHS sophomores were quite low when compared statewide.

Both PMS and PHS staff members have since talked with SAT officials who offered tips on giving and taking the tests.

Crane said since talking with officials they did "everything wrong" at PHS in giving the test.

PHS students were given the tests on lapboards in the auditorium. Crane said that, and other conditions, might have affected the scores.

Board members heard a report from PHS principal Tommy Morrison on block scheduling.

Morrison told board members more than half of the students and parents returned the survey.

Two questions from each survey were keyed upon by PHS staff and with majority approving of the current system of classes.

Morrison said by all appearances teachers had also overwhelmingly approved the schedule and did not appear to want to change back to seven-period days.

Board members heard a report on the expenses of city bus routes and will be deciding in the next few meetings whether to continue the service next year.

The district is currently losing money for running the routes in the city limits of Prescott.

Options could be to raise fees (if they can legally be collected) to $45 per rider per school year or completely drop the city routes.

Proposed $45 per year per student fees is less than 25-cents per day charge than was begun in the early 1970's by the local Jaycees chapter which started the in-town service.

By law the district is not required to proved bus services to those living within two miles of the school buildings in which they attend classes.

Transportation director Fred Davis told board members use of the school van had dropped dramatically since determining it was illegal to transport students upon it since it did not possess federal safety requirements.

Davis told board members they could consider buying a van/bus that met standards but could expect to pay as much for the smaller vehicle as they did for a new 65-passenger bus.

The only advantage of the smaller vehicle would be drivers are not currently required to have their CDL.

Board members renewed the contracts of Gober, Morrison and Howard Austin - the district's three principals.

In other action, they also recognized local eighth grade DAR essay winner Laura Johnston as a state DAR essay winner.