A speaker during the public comment period expressed concerns about several alleged issues in the Marion County School District during Monday’s school board meeting.
Angela Newson Ratliff said she spoke on behalf of some parents and some grandparents and asked board members to look into four areas:
1. Overlooking qualified applicants
2. Nepotism
3. Take points away from students’ grades for bad behavior
4. “Children being called out of their names.”
She did not speak of specifics beyond that, and district officials did not respond during the meeting.
Superintendent Wendy Bracey declined comment Tuesday.
Also Monday, the board approved Bracey’s recommendation to hire Amanda Stevens as early learning coordinator and instructional coach for the Early Learning Collaborative. Stevens will be overseeing the effort that will be adding 10 pre-K teachers and 10 assistants through a $1.1 million state grant paid out over three years. Each of the classrooms will have 20 students.
The Marion County district is the lead partner, and it also includes the Columbia schools, Pearl River Valley Opportunity, daycares and other groups.
Bracey gave a summary of the plan at Board Member Larry Jenkins’ behest.
Each class will have the same curriculum, regardless of where it is at.
“I think it’s going to be a stepping stone for kindergarten children. As they enter kindergarten, it’s going to help them be better prepared,” Bracey said.
When asked about the continued funding for the program after the grant, Bracey said she hopes pre-K is mandated in the future.
Bracey said the other centers are responsible for the safety and security at their locations.
Another part of the program is a tax credit that local businesses can participate in, Bracey said. She said Families First will be leading that portion of the project, and it will be making presentations to the business community.
Also Monday:
• The board hired James “Bo” Williams as 16 Section land manager, Cory Odom as a para-professional volunteer assistant coach for fast-pitch softball, Tim Morrison to drive the CARES bus route for the remainder of school year and Katie Sauls as a full-time school bus driver for the remaining 73 school days.
• The board voted to rehire all of the same district administrators and principals for the 2019-2020 school year.
• The board delayed until March its superintendent’s evaluation. Board President Keith Stuckey said there wasn’t enough time to look at the form. Bracey responded that it came in their board packet 72 hours in advance and is on the Mississippi School Boards Association website at all times. Stuckey replied that some members said they had enough time and some didn’t and that they were going to do it next month.
• Students from the career and technical center made gifts for the school board members as part of an appreciation week. Students from different areas introduced themselves to the board and explained what they made.
• The board changed its March board meeting from March 11 to March 18 because of spring break.
• Board Attorney Fred Cooper gave an update on negotiations with the city of Columbia for the city to move its rubbish pit, currently at the airport, to school-district-owned land on Mississippi 586. The current rubbish pit has to be closed as part of a $10 million expansion of the airport runway.
Cooper said he met with City Attorney Lawrence Hahn and Engineer Sean Burns and that the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality requires language that both the City of Columbia and Marion County School District will be jointly responsible for cleanup at the site if something goes wrong. However, Cooper said the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office suggested the school board could enter a separate agreement with the city saying the city would take responsibility in such a case.
Cooper said the city is running about six months behind on the project and wanted to know if the school board had any major objections to that plan.
“We definitely don’t need to be responsible for any of their mess ups,” Stuckey said.
Board Member Jessie Graham asked if the rubbish pit would contribute to washout problems on 586, and Cooper said the engineer says it shouldn’t.
Cooper said the rubbish pit would have places for building materials, limbs and metal and that the city would have to hire someone to haul them off once they fill up.
Board Member Larry Jenkins asked if the separate agreement with the city would supersede the one submitted to MDEQ. Cooper said not necessarily but the school board would have action against the city for any expenses incurred.
Jenkins said MDEQ is covering itself by requiring its agreement and that the county school board needed to cover itself.
Stuckey asked what kind of money the city would pay on a lease, and Bracey said that hasn’t been discussed.
The board didn’t take any action on the matter pending receiving a copy of the proposed agreement with the city. Bracey said when the agreement is drawn up they may have a special call meeting for the board members to review it.
Pictured Above: Angela Newson Ratliff speaks to the Marion County School board Monday. She asked school board members to look into four issues. | Photo by Charlie Smith
