Kenneigha Barnes was all smiles as Marion County Superintendent Wendy Bracey called her up in front of a school board meeting Monday.
Barnes, daughter of Kenneth Barnes and the late Marvellia Barnes, was East Marion High School’s salutatorian and STAR Student for the Class of 2017 and plans to attend the University of Southern Mississippi this fall majoring in medical laboratory sciences. Bracey introduced Barnes as the winner of a very special distinction.
“Back in February, I received an email from the Mississippi Association of School Superintendents asking us to ask our seniors to apply for this scholarship,” Bracey said. “Last week, when I was at MASS, they present those scholarships. I would like to say that Kenneigha Barnes was one of 10 students in the state of Mississippi that received this scholarship.”
Bracey said the envelope was to stay sealed and be presented to Barnes, which she did at Monday night’s Board meeting at the District offices on Mississippi 13 North in Columbia.
“We are so very proud of her,” Bracey said.
The Board also conducted a variety of other business during the meeting, including accepting the resignations of Linda Bullock, a teacher in the District, and Julie Roberts, a teacher at West Marion Primary School.
The Board also approved the hiring of Maya Magee, bookkeeper at East Marion High School; Robin Broome and Rita Martin, cafeteria workers in the District; Whitney Walker as West Marion High School music teacher; Amy Lowery and Krystal Broom as teachers at WMHS, Kelly Parker as a speech pathologist at West Marion Primary School, Adam Weatherford as a teacher at East Marion Elementary School and Gabriel Ball as a volunteer assistant basketball coach at East Marion High School.
At a special meeting on June 29, the Board conducted several other personnel discussions and approved the resignation of Jennifer Prestridge, human resources/assistant to the business manager; the resignation of Vanessa David, a cafeteria worker at WMPS and Amanda Thonrhill, a teacher in the District.
The Board then hired School Resource Officer Kenneth Ross, approved Jesse Steve Harmon and Mandell Echols as school bus drivers for the 2017-18 school year, voted to employ Echols as the EMHS health and physical education teacher; hired Courtney Carson-Pittman as a teacher in the district and voted to employ Shari C. Bryant as health and science teacher at the Marion County Carl Loftin Career and Technical Center.
In other business at its Monday meeting, the Board:
• Approved a single source purchase from The Kirkland Group to renew usage of their curriculum pacing guides for ELA and math for grades 3-10 for the amount of $9,000 to be paid with local funds,
• Approved a single source purchase from TE21 for test item databank and curriculum pacing with screener assessments in the total amount of $9,260, with $7,260 to be paid with local funds and the professional development in the amount of $2,000 to be paid with Federal Title funds.
• Approved a contract with Rosemont Consulting Services to conduct comprehensive assessments as needed to provide behavior consultations, and professional development for district personnel to be paid with SPED funds.
• Approved the athletic schedules for 2017-18.
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Marion County School District Board of Education is set for 6 p.m. on Aug. 14.
Pictured Above: Marion County Superintendent Wendy Bracey awards a scholarship to EMHS grad Kenneigha Barnes. | Photo by Mark Rogers
