The year 2007 did have some good news to offer, and most of it came from the Nye County School District.

The district had a stellar year when it came to its annual yearly progress (AYP) scores with 90 percent of the district's schools meeting federal benchmarks set by the No Child Left Behind Act.

Not bad considering there are 37 ways to fail and only one way for a school to succeed.

Every elementary school in the county made its required AYP, with Manse, Hafen, and Beatty Elementary schools receiving the rank of "high achieving."

Tonopah Middle school was also ranked "high achieving" and Round Mountain Middle School earned "exemplary" status.

Even schools that weren't deemed high achieving or exemplary (it only takes failure in one category to change an entire school's ranking) showed significant improvement.

At Rosemary Clarke Middle School, for example, more than 95 percent of the students scored above the AYP requirements.

The school achieved double-digit gains in almost every area and grade level, including a 12 percent increase in students meeting AYP for Math and a 25 percent increase in English proficiency.

The district will soon have another addition to its schools since 2007 saw the groundbreaking for the new Ron and Charlotte Floyd Elementary School, to be located at 6181 Jane St.

The new school is being built for $16.3 million on 12 acres donated by America West Homes.

About 680 students will be enrolled in the new school named for the prominent Pahrump family that has supported the school system for decades.

Holly Lepisto, principal of J.G. Johnson Elementary school, will be principal of the new facility when it opens its doors next year.

Anticipating future needs, the school board also decided to begin building a new high school in the next three or four years.

It's early, so many of the plans have yet to be solidified, but the new school is expected to be built on 40 acres and house 1,200 students.

The new school is expected to help alleviate present and future student population issues as Pahrump Valley High School has already exceeded its capacity.