Walley steps down as PHS principal

PRESCOTT – Prescott High School is seeking a new principal.

Missy Walley tendered her resignation during the March meeting of the Prescott School Board Tuesday night. The resignation will take effect on June 30, the end of the fiscal year.

Walley told the board her husband was given a promotion and the family will be moving to the East Coast, and could wind up in either Georgia, or North or South Carolina. The promotion, she said, came right before Spring Break.

“Prescott is dear to me,” Walley told the board, “and I don’t want to hold the Prescott School District back. My girls love Prescott and are devastated because they don’t want to say goodbye.”

Walley said she’s proud of the school and the district’s vision and forward thinking. She told the board Superintendent Robert Poole challenged her to be innovative when she was hired and was there to support her.

Poole said she made Prescott a better place during her two years here, and made a difference. Patricia Blake, board president, said Walley would be missed. The board accepted the resignation after an executive session and agreed to begin advertising the position.

The panel also approved paying a purchase order for $15,330 to Jostens for championship football rings. Poole told the board more than $16,500 was raised to purchase the rings and the remaining money will be placed in the activity account to be used for other purposes, possibly more rings depending on how the state track meet turns out.

Enrollment in the district went up by 11 students from February to March. Overall there are 997 students in the district with 550 in Prescott Elementary School and 447 at PHS.

Poole said the district is collecting more than its spending, which is a good thing. The panel also approved the 2015-16 audit.

Because of a scheduling conflict, the April board meeting will be on April 18 instead of April 25. Poole said the annual Prescott-Nevada County Chamber of Commerce Banquet will be April 25 in the cafeteria and the district doesn’t want to interfere with it.

He also told the board Flywheel Pies will be moving its operation to the fifth and sixth grade building at the former McRae Middle School. The business will primarily be using the cafetorium and kitchen area to expand its operations. Poole said he’s been working with the owner, the city and county on this agreement, along with the Prescott-Nevada County Economic Development Office.

He said the business will be spending quite a bit of money remodeling and improving the building’s security. He added this will be a year-to-year lease agreement and will be bringing money into the district.

There will be a community meeting at 6 p.m. on April 4 in the PHS auditorium. The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss the upcoming May 9 special election to extend the district’s indebtedness for school projects, what those projects are and school safety issues.

Poole said the public can ask questions about PHS and PES, along with the upcoming election, and any misconceptions people may have about the election and how the money will be spent. He pointed out the district isn’t refinancing anything, but will be extending its bonded indebtedness several more years. Anyone who wants to email questions to him can at rpoole@prescottschool.net. These questions will be addressed at the meeting.

Following an executive session, the board accepted five resignations and approved advertising to replace those leaving.