The Leggett Valley School District is small and compact, with both the elementary and the high school located on the same grounds in the town of Leggett. The grounds and buildings are neat and well maintained. The district also includes the Whale Gulch School, located west of Whitethorn and quite a distance from Leggett.

The Leggett Valley High School was named one of the top high schools in the country a few years back, and the district has had a good academic reputation. Last year they received some unfavorable criticism from the Mendocino County Grand Jury, focused on the previous superintendent of the district.

But it’s a new school year and a new day for Leggett Valley schools and there is a new superintendent directing the district.

Catherine Scott is a Humboldt County native, born and raised in Eureka. She graduated from St. Bernard’s High School, went to UC Santa Cruz where she got a BA in history. She went from university to working in Congressman Leon Panetta’s Monterey office.

”He just got appointed director of the CIA,” Scott says. “I knew him before he became famous.”

After her year in Panetta’s office, Scott taught English in Japan for two years, came home to Humboldt County, went to Humboldt State to get her teaching credential, then taught history at her alma mater, St. Bernard’s, for five years. She next earned an administrative credential and became Dean of Students at South Fork High School for two years. For the last five years, she has been in the Willits School District, starting out as Assistant Principal at Willits High School, two years as Alternative Schools principal in that district and then two years as Assistant Superintendent.

Scott’s new role at Leggett has her filling the post of Superintendent as well as that of principal at both the elementary and high schools.

”With the expanding requirements from the state,” she says, “we all have to take on more responsibilities as necessary.”

She has been on the job for two months now, and is very optimistic about the district’s ability to serve the students and the community.

”Things are going great,” she says. “We started school on Monday with a big assembly of students and staff. Everybody was there and it was very positive. We are moving forward. It’s a brand new year and a brand new start. As things come up we will address them as they happen. The staff and the board and the parent community are very committed to the students and we are all committed to getting Leggett back on track.”

The district started off the school year with a total of 75 kindergarten through 12th grade students in Leggett, and 44 kindergarten through 12th grade students at Whale Gulch. Scott says that the district’s size is an advantage in maintaining academic excellence.

”Because of our class size,” she says, “we can offer a lot of one-on-one intervention and support for the students. We were just accredited by WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges). We are able to send our students through the University of California system and they can apply for state financial aid. Schools that are not doing their job don’t get accredited, so we’re pleased about that.”

Scott says, also, that they are weathering the financial decline pretty well this year.

”We’re doing fine, financially,” she says. “Fortunately, the board and the previous administration have been very frugal and we have a healthy reserve. We have drawn on that this year to keep the cuts as minimal as possible. We had no layoffs.

”It is a challenging time for all schools and we will be looking at possible reductions next year and continuing budget issues.”

She says that planning for the 2010-2011 school year is already underway and that the Leggett district, like many others, is looking for what is being called these days “revenue enhancement.”

”I think everyone is looking at revenue enchancement,” she says. “We’ve asked for donations already. Last year we offered two days of music and brought a music teacher in for two days a week. This year, we’re only able to provide one day of music and we’re looking to the community for donations to fund a second day.”

The district is already getting volunteer support, she says.

”We have a very active site council. They’re very active and involved in the community. We have volunteers who come and help provide our students with opportunities in the arts. We are off to a positive start and are looking forward to a good year.”

REDWOOD TIMES PHOTO BY MARY ANDERSON

Meet some of the students at Leggett Valley School. New Superintendent/Principal Catherine Scott (back row, far right) joins teacher Meredyth Phillips and her class of 4th, 5th and 6th grade students. Small class size allows more one-on-one attention for each student, Superintendent Scott says. The district’s high school just received its Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) accreditation.