Maxwell facing new challenges

Maxwell students woke up a little earlier than usual on Monday.

Most were on campus long before the bell rang for their first classes, and almost all were excited about the first day of the new school year.

The annual trek back to school marks an official end to summer for most Colusa County youth, and a time to buckle down and put their noses to the grindstone.

Williams, Princeton and Stony Creek school districts started last week. Piece Unified started Tuesday, and Colusa gets underway today.

"I'm a little bit scared," said Natalie Wilson, a junior at Maxwell High. "My goal this year is to get all As and Bs. I haven't done that before, but I want to keep my grades up to play sports."

Freshman Lucely Ocampo was also a little tentative on her first day as a high school student.

"It's a little bit exciting," Ocampo said. "I think the teachers will expect more from us than when we were in the eighth grade."

Ocampo said she's pretty good at math, but admits with English being a second language, she's is a little unsure if she has what it takes to get through Mrs. Hopkins' tough English class.

"I'm learning," she said.

Maxwell got underway with 136 students at the high school and 60 students at the junior high, which now shares the same campus. Enrollment dropped 10 students from the year before.

"This is our first year of declining enrollment," said Superintendent Ron Turner. "That means we will have to take a look at (the budget) mid-year and possibly shift a few things around."

Declining enrollment means loss of revenue, a decreased operating budget and, in some cases, deficit spending or teacher layoffs, Turner said. The decline in Maxwell's enrollment, for example, will mean a loss of $109,000 next year.

"We should be good for the next two years," Turner said. "But with the state the way it is, we just don't know what will happen three years from now. It's the same for all the districts."

Maxwell had no personnel cuts this year, a relief to veteran music teacher Vicki Wilson, whose program has faced the chopping block many times in her 11-year career as both the elementary and high school band teacher.

Wilson said it was nice not to have to face the board of trustees again this year, despite district and statewide concerns over funding.

"The arguments were already made," Wilson said. "The board knows how the people feel about the music program."

If district finances were the worries of returning teachers and students, it didn't show on their eager faces.

For Maxwell seniors, the last year of school has most conforming to the unwritten rule making them the rulers of the roost.

"We're top dogs in school," joked Derek Mench. "We get to boss everyone around."

Not that being a senior doesn't have its pressures.

In addition to making good grades and getting into college next fall, Mench said he wants to go out a champion.

For Mench and his fellow Panthers, getting to the Division V football playoff championship game has not been a problem the past four years. However, getting past Fall River for the title has.

"I want to win this year," Mench said. "That would be awesome."

Winning the championship, however, will take grit and determination, according to senior Jake Pearson, and getting to the top ranking in order to have the home field advantage for the big game.

"We have to work harder," Pearson said. "It's going to take discipline."

If there was any trepidation about the new school year - over classes, sports, grades, social status or even part-time jobs — it was not evident on the smiling faces on any of the students at the morning assembly, whether they be kings of the campus or seventh graders getting their first glimpses of their new classrooms on the high school campus.

"We like to keep things casual on the first day of school," Turner said. It's puts everyone at ease."

Turner said last year's move of the junior high to the high school campus was so successful, the junior high and high school will have the same break and lunch schedule.

The move, which was considered for more than a decade as a way to save the district money and jobs, was implemented in 2009 to make better use of single-subject teacher credentials.

The move exceeded all expectations, Turner said.

"It's worked out great for everyone," Turner said.

Contact Susan Meeker at 458-2121 or smeeker@tcnpress.com.