Nogales Unified School District

All of the student records from 1917 to 2010 were kept in the basement of the first school in Nogales, which was built in 1915. Clearly, this was not an ideal storage location.

Early records were kept on fragile card stock and onion-skin paper, and more modern papers were equally susceptible to water damage. Over the years, plumbing issues had led to several floods in the basement, and mildew was a constant problem. With many Nogales families having members living on both sides of the border, complete and accurate student records must be kept for generations in order to provide documentation for a variety of immigration issues.

Not only were the records in a hazardous environment, but also the department responsible for the archive fell victim to statewide budget cuts. One full-time person was assigned the daily administrative tasks previously shared by four. A solution was needed to preserve nearly a century of records with very little manpower.