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Tremont resident Mark Holley, representing the Tremont PTO, presented a written request to the board members.
Before he began his presentation, Holley said, “We emailed and mailed this document to board members and the superintendent’s office last week, and we appreciate the opportunity to present it in open meeting.”
The request read as follows:
In light of the false information and rumors that have perpetuated themselves throughout the county and beyond that are causing damage to the Itawamba County School District and in particular Tremont School, we hereby request that the Itawamba County School Board assist us in settling these damaging and hurtful rumors by issuing a resolution stating the following:
1. The Itawamba County School District has no intention of changing the existing structures or makeup of any school in the Itawamba County School District.
2. Only as a last resort to dire financial or academic circumstances will the Itawamba County School Board consider any such related action.
3. The Itawamba County School Board supports all county schools and will strive to assist these schools in providing the best education possible for the students of the Itawamba County School District.
Secondly, in light of the fact that buses pick up students within three miles of the door of Tremont School to take them 12 miles away to Fulton, costing the district money in transportation cost as well as having heard complaints from Fulton teachers about oversized classrooms, we hereby request that the current school bus routes be re-evaluated across the district, and the decisions about the routes be based first on nearest facility and second on any adjustment needed to provide the right sizing of classrooms.
It is our understanding that many years ago the board established a policy that would incrementally return routes to Tremont, Fairview, and perhaps other schools as the students who were on that route at the time of the agreement graduated. We believe enough time has passed that these routes should be fully returned and request the school board investigate this matter.
Thirdly, our understanding of the agreement allowing Franklin County, Ala., school buses to run deeply into this district is that the route would never extend and that the route would shrink as students at the end of the route graduated. Based on the approximate time of the agreement should not all of those students have graduated by now? Therefore, by agreement, should not this practice have already ceased? The county loses funding each year by the continuance of this practice, and this practice does not comply with MS Code Section 37-15-29. In light of these understandings, we request that the board investigate this matter as well.
Eddie Hood, chairman of the board, thanked Holley for his presentation and asked if anyone else had a comment or question for the board, but no one replied.
The school board made no other comments regarding the matter.
“We were disappointed in the board’s failure to address the request for a resolution to help end incorrect rumors concerning cost per student throughout the county,” Holley said following the meeting.
In other business, the board:
• Accepted 11 Dell computers donated by ICC to Itawamba Attendance Center.
• Approved medical leave for Geneva Dabbs at Dorsey and Jackie Rankin at IAC.
• Accepted resignations and retirements from Jackie Rankin only as bus driver at IAC; Karen Dubose and Mary Ann Hall, teacher assistants at Mantachie; Deborah Foster, teacher at IAC; Jane Johnson, teacher at alternative school; and Gwen Barlow, teacher assistant at IAC.
• Approved Mantachie High School fundraiser.
• Approved sick leave donations to Jackie Rankin at IAC and Geneva Dabbs at Dorsey.
• Approved Susie Warren’s request to attend state Teacher of the Year Banquet to be held April 22-23.
• Approved Cheree Brown’s request to post OSCB projects on website; this will include Fairview and Mantachie projects.
• Approved Patti Thrash’s request to purchase software from a sole source provider.
• Presented Kevin Armstrong, assistant principal at IAC, with a PREPS award on behalf the school.
Has anyone even thought about the fact, that we may be do more harm than good to students of Tremont and other school by combining them. I feel like the school board a long with its members are a complete disgrace. They can't seem to answer anything straight forward, and they don't seem to care about the children, just how fat their pockets will become!