LVHS stays put

Lahontan Valley High School is staying put at its South Maine Street address, but another move the district is considering has another group of parents upset.

The alternative high school will remain at the Old High School building with reduced funding, the school board decided in a six-hour marathon meeting that began Thursday night and finished early Friday morning.

The most contentious issues in the meeting involved merging LVHS with Churchill County High School and converting Northside Elementary to the district's preschool and kindergarten site.

The school board chose not to merge LVHS with Churchill County High School after Principal Keith Boone informed board members he could operate the school with a reduction of $75,000 in funds.

The $75,000 saving is part of the $1.32 million in cuts the board made for its tentative budget that needs to be completed by Tuesday.

LVHS parents, staff and students told the board it would be a monumental mistake to merge the two schools.

Boone said he spoke to his students, and 98 percent stressed they would not attend the later 1 to 8 p.m. schedule the school district once proposed.

Another 76 percent said they would not attend the CCHS campus under any circumstances.

"That is alarming," he said, explaining some students would dropout rather than attend classes at the CCHS campus.

"The bottom line is I am imploring you not to make this merger. I am saying this with my pure conscience. Please take that into consideration," Boone said.

LVHS Student Body President Whitney Howell asked those not supporting the merger to stand, and about two-thirds of the 500 people in attendance stood.

Howell said the teacher-student ratio of 15 to one at the alternative school is a benefit many students need.

Howell also said there is a misconception about LVHS students being bad kids.

Kacie Churchill, a junior at LVHS, said when attending CCHS she failed her classes and was placed on probation.

Now, she is making straight A's and is off probation.

"Merging the schools is the worst thing you can do," she said. "The teachers are incredible."

The alternative school, she said, gives parents and students an option. She added the students are not troublemakers as some believe.

"Who are you to pass judgment on me?" she asked. "You do not know me. Cut something else, not our education."

Jessica Burton, another alternative student at LVHS, said there is no way merging the schools could save $250,000 without hurting students.

"Take a little bit of time and think what you are doing to the kids and their future," she said. "Please keep us where we are at."

Rachel Dahl, a teacher at LVHS, said the thought of what could happen is painful, especially to students.

"LVHS is a model program for the community and the state," she said. "We have an incredible staff, and I get to be with these kids everyday."

When a 15-year-old student is not learning, the fault lies with the teacher, she said.

She said the timing is horrible and criticized the district because students found out about the possible merger from the media, days before testing was done.

"These poor kids were worrying about the only stability they have. It puts both staffs in a bad position," Dahl said.

She also read an apology e-mail from CCHS Principal Robbin Pedrett. Pedrett said a way to tell the students apart (if both school had merged) was to have alternative students wear an L on their clothes when attending the high school campus. She apologized the next day for her remarks.

"I am asking you to keep us where we are at," Dahl said.

Fallon resident Rodney Dyer said as Fallon grows more students will want to attend LVHS.

"We have got to get on the same page because if we don't we are all going to lose," he said.

The board voted 6-1 to keep the LVHS site at the Old High school with Trustee Tom Riggins dissenting. Riggins said he wanted additional information before voting on the issue.

Another controversial issue facing the district is reconfiguring Northside Elementary to the preschool and kindergarten site and transferring all other students from this school to other locations.

While no vote was taken because the research has not been completed, the proposal would save the district $450,000.

Northside teachers were upset to learn of the proposal at the last hour.

Superintendent Carolyn Ross said she thinks the idea is a good one, but added it has to be studied.

"I think we are getting closer to this, she said in reference to Northside reconfiguring. "At first glance it is looking good."

Ross will know more about the reconfiguration next week.

Under the proposal, Cottage School students would move to Northside, and some district services would move into the vacant site.

Marva Cleven, director of special services for the Churchill County School District and whose office is at Cottage School, said the pros outweigh the cons.

Eric Grimes, executive director of the Churchill County Economic Development Authority, asked what this move would mean to his daughter who attends Northside.

Board President Greg Koenig said things such as where the students would go to school are unknown at this time.

Assistant Superintendent Gregg Malkovich explained the reason Northside Elementary is being considered for the reconfiguration over other schools is because of the number of teachers leaving this school, as well as the school is designed for smaller children.

Freezing salaries was not discussed because the district is in arbitration with its associations, though the board hired an attorney whose specialty is in education law for this purpose.

Freezing salaries would save the district about $580,000.

The final budget must be completed in the latter part of May.