Elementary principal retiring; Else named ‘Superintendent of the Year’

At the Dec. 16 Eureka County School Board meeting, Reagan Mello, school board student representative, reported that from Nov. 10 through the 20, they had a food drive, and extra food was put into boxes “and handed out at the winter clothing drive.” The students sorted all the clothing donated in November, and “leadership went down to the community church on Nov. 23 and sorted all of those out.” Mello related, “We had a dance on Dec. 11 where over 90 students attended…This week we have a dress-up week that students and teachers are participating in, and then Thursday, we have Reindeer Games and an assembly” as the semester ends.

High school principal John Glover related that on Christmas night at the high school, the seniors went in to decorate. Students also completed their math testing for the year. Finals began “seventh period today and will continue for the next two days as we wrap up the first semester.” Reindeer Games were underway, and “Santa is going to show up.” On Dec. 9, the “music department put on a great Christmas concert at the opera house,” which was “well-attended,” and Principal Glover congratulated the students and teacher Annesa Ashcroft. Glover said, “Winter sports have arrived,” and the past two weeks, “basketball games have been busy,” with the first home game Saturday, Dec. 20. The wrestling team “has been busy: they’ve been to Fallon and Lovelock already; they’re headed to Lovelock this weekend.” Glover said, “The junior high basketball program held a big event on Friday,” Dec. 12, with “five other schools here, and there were 32 games played in eight hours. All the gyms were being used; it was a busy day that ran smoothly without any hiccups.” Glover thanked all the volunteers. 

Eureka Elementary principal Lisa Hutchison said they had “dress-up days at both of the schools, luncheon, gift exchange; so, it’s been an exciting week for sure at both elementaries.” They’ve been finishing up math testing, but “we’ve had a lot of sick kiddos, so we’re doing a lot of make-up tests this week. So far the scores are looking pretty good, so I’m excited about that because usually in the winter they tank a little bit.” When school resumes, there will be parent/teacher conferences, Friday, Jan. 9.

The board applauded Superintendent Tate Else, who received the Superintendent of the Year award at the Nevada Association of School Boards Conference held Dec. 4-6 in Reno.

Superintendent Else said former State Superintendent Pete Canavero has been information-gathering to determine what the new State Education Service Center “is going to look like.” Else “thinks that is a very good opportunity for the state to be kind of an in-between layer between the Department of Education and actually providing assistance rather than compliance monitoring.” Else was happy that Canavero is “reaching out to districts across the state.” He is “hopeful that I think that will be a good avenue for some positive change in the state.”

Else said, “It’s been an amazing half of the school year: it’s absolutely baffling for me to believe that we are two days away from the semester ending.” He wanted “to thank everybody. It’s really been a great year.” 

With heavy hearts, the board considered the resignation of elementary school principal Lisa Hutchison. Superintendent Else said, “I absolutely loved working with Lisa Hutchison. She’s been an exceptional addition to our school. She’s still well-respected by our students, our teachers, our community and it’s going to be incredibly large shoes to fill and it’s really, really sad.” 

Hutchison said, “I’ve enjoyed every moment. I feel like to retire here in Eureka has been the best thing that anybody could ever have. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to be a full-time nanna, that I am going to truly miss the people, the students, the community here. It’s a wonderful place to be, a wonderful place to work,” and “that’s all I’m going to say because I’m going to cry and I have a concert to go to. I thank you guys.”

Principal Glover thanked Hutchison “for everything that you did for me. I was brand new, and you made it so much easier.” Tears and laughter mingled as the board accepted Hutchison’s resignation. 

The next school board meeting will be January 20, 2025, at 5:30 p.m.

The School Board approved:

The 2026-2027 school calendar for Crescent Valley Elementary.

The 2025-2026 Interlocal Agreement with Elko County School District.

The First Reading of ECSD Policy 4001 – Equal Educational Opportunity; Equal Employment Opportunity; Nondiscrimination. 

The First Reading of ECSD Policy 4002 – Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex Under Title IX. 

Resolutions to augment the 2026 budget of the following funds: General Fund, Special Education Fund, Food Service Fund, Capital Projects Fund, and Building and Sites Fund.