CARROLLTON — Residents of Vaiden whose children attend Carroll County public schools will have to go farther to participate in Carroll County School Board meetings.
Despite protests from school board members Laura Davis and Ruby Miller, the board voted Thursday to hold all future regular meetings in Carrollton rather than divide them between Vaiden and Carrollton as the county’s Board of Supervisors does.
Jim Strong made a motion to change the schedule, seconded by Kenneth DeLoach, and the motion passed, 3-2, with Davis and Miller voting against it.
“The meetings were set so interested persons and parents could attend,” Miller said. “We’ve moved the school here, but we need to keep that connection with Vaiden. It needs to be as convenient as possible for people to come to meetings.”
Miller and Davis were also outvoted when Miller attempted to unseat Ben Shute as board president. Miller moved to elect Davis as president, Strong as vice president and DeLoach as secretary. Strong, Deloach and Shute voted no, and the motion failed, 3-2.
DeLoach then made a motion to reappoint Shute president. His motion was seconded by Strong. Miller voted no, and Davis abstained. The motion passed, 3-2.
The board voted unanimously to elect DeLoach vice president and Strong secretary. In another unanimous vote, Lori Bell was reappointed board attorney.
After months of discussion, the board heard one bid for the empty Hathorn Elementary School building in Vaiden — for $25,000 from the town of Vaiden.
Business Manager Mimi Alldread told the board she had received a text message from someone at Central Mississippi Inc. who wanted to offer $125,000 for the building.
“Their board is meeting tonight,” School Superintendent Billy Joe Ferguson said.
Shute questioned the timing of the text, when no bid had been placed, but Bell said the board could legally refuse a bid and then negotiate for the property.
“We’ve drug this on for six months or a year. It keeps going on,” Shute said.
After some discussion, the board voted to reject the bid from Vaiden. Miller and Davis abstained from voting.
The board voted unanimously to hold a special meeting next week to discuss the property with CMI. The board will meet at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the superintendent’s office in Carrollton.
Alldread also gave the board a letter from the Town of North Carrollton disclosing potential problems with its water system, affecting both Marshall Elementary and J.Z. George middle and high schools. The town’s water department was cited in 2010 for the problems, but the letter said the system cannot be repaired until 2013. In the meantime, it is possible the water can become contaminated, the letter said.
On advice from Bell, the board agreed to send letters to parents explaining the situation. They also directed Bell to get advice on the matter from the Mississippi Department of Health. Ferguson suggested that until the situation is resolved the board purchase bottled water for the “severe and profound” special education class and also for 4-year-olds, who might become ill more easily if contaminants should enter the water system.
Also Thursday, Strong advised the board that a timber company has asked that its performance bond be returned. Woody Magee purchased the rights to a tract of timber from the district’s 16th Section land but has not harvested it.
“We recommend you withhold $2,500 for the forestry department’s costs,” Strong said. You can give the rest back to him or keep it all if you choose.”
Despite protests from Davis and Miller, Shute and DeLoach insisted on keeping all of the performance bond for the district, except for the amount needed to pay forestry management costs.
However, the vote was two for and two against the motion, so it failed, and no action was taken.
Alldread informed the board that a hunting and fishing lease is up for renewal, and Strong told them the section has been improved with thinning and proper burning to encourage the growth of vegetation.
“It’s a great spot for hunting,” he said.
Davis made a motion to increase the lease amount from $13 to $15 an acre, and despite some disagreement by Shute, the vote was unanimous.
