Right on the numbers

Turns out Bob Anderson, financial director for the Carson City School District, has his fingers on the numbers when it comes to budgeting.

When planning the 2005-06 budget, he estimated an enrollment of 8,262.4 students. On Sept. 16, when the students enrolled in the district were actually counted, the number came in at 8,263.6 students. (Kindergartners account for six-tenths of a student because they are in school a half-day.)

Anderson was off by 1.2 students. School district officials and the school board were pleased with his accuracy.

"Over the past couple years our projections have been very close," said Carson City School District Superintendent Mary Pierczynski at last week's school board meeting. "We are not in the situation that Washoe and Clark counties are in because of his projections."

Although enrollment in the Carson City School District dropped by 197 students over the past year, its picture is not altogether different from nearby counties, excluding Lyon.

The Douglas County School District dropped by 150 students, more than 2 percent; Washoe County increased by 117 students, one-fifth of a one percent gain and not as much as anticipated; and Storey County dropped by 29 students, 6 percent.

At the other end of the spectrum is the Lyon County School District, which grew by 494 students, a 5.6 percent increase.

"It's not nice to say we're losing students," said Bob Crowell, vice president of the Carson City School District Board of Trustees. "But on the other hand, it's always nice to say we budgeted properly."

Katrina Relief Effort

at Carson High School

Two student body officers at Carson High School established a fund-raiser for Hurricane Katrina relief recently and collected $1,551 dollars.

Sophia Raphael and Tiffany Halen, both seniors, placed collection boxes in each classroom at the school with the hope that students could afford one dollar every day for five days.

"That total would have been like $12,000," said Tiffany. "We still did pretty well and we're happy with it. The teachers really helped out with it and encouraged students to donate money. One class donated more than $200."

A Casino Fandango official agreed to count the money on their machines and to match the donation to American Red Cross, for a total of $3,102.

More Girls Scouts

Princess Boot Camp, in Dayton on Sept. 24, attracted about 30 girls from kindergarten through seventh grade. It was put on by four Lyon County-area Girls Scouts: Erica Reyna, Michael Fuller, April Fuller and Monica Stephenson. April and Monica will receive a silver star for their involvement.

The silver star is the second in a cluster of three - bronze, silver, gold - that some Girls Scouts feel equates with the Boy Scout Eagle Award.

April 14, a Girl Scout in Troop 708 in Dayton, worked with the young girls who attended Princess Boot Camp.

"I was in charge of the little kids, like the kindergartners," she said. "We did crafts, we made crowns, we went outside and played games and we ate food."

Her mother Karen McRae said the camp generated some interest in scouting.

"We did have several parents ask for paperwork to sign girls up, as well as a few parents wanting to join as leaders," she said.

Any girl interested in joining Girl Scouts in the Dayton or Virginia City area should call Debbie Atkinson at 246-9363.

"It went really well," McRae said. "The girls all seemed to enjoy it, as did the leaders and the kids."

n Contact reporter Maggie O'Neill at moneill@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1219.