School employees readying for school

Rosanna Robertson admired the artwork on the walls of the Mark Twain Elementary School office while she waited to interview for an aide position in the English as a second language classroom.

"I heard about the job so I sent in my application," she said Friday. "They called me in, and I was so excited. I wanted to work here because I heard it was one of the best schools."

Hiring for open positions within the Carson City School District has been on hold for more than a month as Nevada legislators deadlocked over a tax plan, freezing the school budget in the process.

The final approval came late the night of July 21. Administrators were given the go-ahead to begin interviewing for paraprofessional positions and extending contracts to teachers who had been offered jobs informally.

Principal Kathy Adair and vice principal Jessica Daniels said they were encouraged by the applicants who are interested in positions at Mark Twain.

"The candidates are fabulous," Daniels said. "They have a wealth of experience and are highly qualified. It's wonderful."

Between interviews, administrators have been busy with several projects in anticipation of the first day of school.

Teachers are setting up their rooms and arranging bulletin boards. Custodians are cleaning carpets and polishing floors. Textbooks need to be distributed to the appropriate classrooms, and schedules need to be determined.

"Thank goodness for all the other people who work here and know what to do," said Adair, who is starting her first year as principal. "There's no way Jessica and I could have known all that needed to be done."

Mike Mitchell, director of operations for the school district, said custodians usually complete larger projects earlier in the summer and end with the small stuff, such as painting and cleaning.

But with the legislative standstill, Mitchell said, the order was reversed. The schools have received a fresh coat of paint, but projects such as laying tile and refinishing gym floors are just getting started.

"We're back to business as usual in getting ready for school to open," he said. "We're just about four weeks late."

Although the delay has been an inconvenience, Daniels said she was not upset.

"We certainly needed a decision to be made," she said. "But I appreciate the time they took because I think they considered all factions."

And Adair pledged they will be ready by the time school starts Aug. 26.