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The Simpson County Board of Education held their regular school board meeting on February 12, 2015. The meeting beginning at 6:00 p.m. at the District Office Board Room. Board President Doris Perkins called the meeting to order followed by a word of prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance.
Board Member Dale Shotts made a motion to approve the Agenda of the meeting for February 12, 2015, and Sammy Welch seconded. None opposed. Stacey Herrin then made a motion to approve the Minutes for January 8, 13,23,and 29, 2015; a second was made Dale Shotts. None opposed.
During the announcements by the board, Superintendent Glenn Harris had several awards to present. The first award presented, was a certificate to the Simpson County School Board members. This award is in recognition of February 15th through the 21st as being National School Board appreciation week. The next award presented was to Simpson Central School by the National Beta Club of Distinction, also Simpson Central was honored for the second year by the Preps for their High Assessments test scores and Academically being named a High Progress reward school. Glenn Harris also welcomed newest board member Linda Curlee to the Simpson County School Board.
Linda Bennett spoke to the board expressing her concerns and frustrations with the Magee schools. “ Since the last time I was here, 3 of my 4 grandchildren that were in the Magee schools have left, or rather more accurately were forced to leave. You may not feel they were forced to leave, but those are the facts. Due to the uncontrolled bullying and inadequate education they were receiving, they had no choice.” Said Bennett.
Mr. Willie McDonald addressed the board members consider his previous request to purchase a peace of land that is owned by the Simpson County School Distract. The land is located beside Magee Elementary and joins with the back of his mother’s property. Board Attorney Larry Clark informed the board and Mr. McDonald that the land would have to be advertised in the paper for three weeks then bids would need to be taken upon the land.
On the consent agenda the board was asked to consider the request to refund lunch money to Stephanie Jordan and Donna Miller from the Food Services funds. Dale Shotts made a motion to consider the request with a second by Sammy Welch. None opposed. Next, the board was asked to consider the request from Mendenhall Elementary to accept a $500.00 donation from Lipscomb Oil Company. Sammy Welch made the motion to accept the donation with a second by Dale Shotts, with none opposed. Also, the board was asked that Mendenhall Elementary be able to donate old library books to the de Grummond Library at USM. Dale Shotts made the motion to allow Mendenhall to donate the old books with a second by Sammy Welch, with none opposed.
Next on the Agenda were the travel requests for the following:
- Rasheda Bell, Tony Boone, Susan Walker, Sharonda Jones and Kristel Thrash to attend the “Building Expertise: Your Journey to Rigor”, June 16 – 20, 2015 in Orlando, FL. This will come out of the TIF funds.
- Dixie Everett request permission to attend the 2015 Secondary Test Coordinators Training on February 25, 2015 in Starkville, MS. This will come out of the District Funds.
- Misty Hanna and Debbie Davis request permission to attend the Curriculum Associates Conference, February 25 – 27, 2015 in Orlando, FL. This will be no Costs to the District.
- Roma Morris and Joe Hanna request permission to attend the 2015 PREPSMAPE Conference, March 17 – 19, 2015 in Choctaw, MS. This will come out of the District Funds.
- Emma Stamps request permission to travel with Mendenhall JR. High Gifted students to the Audubon Zoo on February 20, 2015 in New Orleans, LA.
- Elizabeth Christian request permission to travel on the following dates for teacher recruitment purposes:
- February 17 – 18, 2015 Memphis University in Memphis, TN
- March 10 – 11, 2015 South Alabama University in Mobile, AL
- April 1 – 2, 2015 Miles College in Birmingham, AL
- April 9 – 10, 2015 Grambling State University in Ruston, LA
- April 15 – 16, 2015 Valley State University in Itta Bena, MS
- Kelly Nelson, Amy Shepherd, Roy Rigsby and Jared Hayes request permission to travel with Magee High Beta Convention on February 16 – 18,2015 in Tupelo, MS. This will come from the Student Club Funds.
- Glenn Harris requests permission to attend the 2015 PREPSMAPE Conference on March 17 – 19,2015 in Choctaw, MS. This will come from the District Funds
The next order of business was the board’s approval for Landry and Lewis Architects, P. A. INC. to contract the new Magee Elementary. This contract is only for the contraction of the school, although no site has been chosen yet. Dale Shotts made the motion to accept Landry and Lewis as the contractors for the new school with a second by Stacey Herrin. The vote was 3 in favor, 1 opposed, and one member not able to vote due to a conflict of interest.
Glenn Harris asked the board to move the March 12, meeting to March 19, during his Superintendent’s report. Sammy Welch made the motion to move the meeting with a second by Stacey Herrin. None opposed.
The Board then called an executive session to discuss student discipline.
After the executive session Glenn Harris asked the board to approve a pay increases of $25.00 to the bus drive that is taking over Coach Neely’s afternoon bus route due to a conflict with the Mendenhall baseball schedule. Stacey Herrin made the motion to increase the bus driver’s pay with a second by Sammy Welch. None opposed.
Harris also informed the school board that the district is in dire need of bus drivers.
The board was called to recess until March 19, 2015 at 6:00p.m. at the Simpson County District Office on Hwy 13 in Mendenhall.
