CARROLLTON — Superintendent of Education Billy Joe Ferguson again tried Thursday to entice school board members to consider seeking a $3 million state bond fund loan to build a new elementary school — and once again he was denied.
Ferguson asked the group to delay action on the motion about the bond fund, go with him to Forest to see a school built with a new design and new type of material, and let him get all the facts.
Board member Rubye Miller said, as she did in the April meeting, that she is not ready to build a school. “We have just closed one school for financial reasons, and it’s just not the time to build another.”
Other members agreed. “We should concentrate on the middle school. It’s the wrong time to consider building,” Marcus Kuykendall said.
Ferguson told the group that the old building that houses Marshall Elementary will continue to need a lot of repair, and that energy costs, especially, will be going up.
“Our 10-year plan of rent money from 16th Section land done by the forestry department is more than enough to pay what we will owe,” he said.
Ben Shute challenged Ferguson about his figures on total school indebtedness. Finally Kuykendall moved to disapprove the use of the school bond funds. When Ferguson asked what that meant, he said, “It means we don’t want to hear any more about it.”
The motion passed, 4-1, with Laura Davis voting no.
Ferguson said that as a cost-saving measure, all school personnel will get a three-day unpaid furlough during the 2010-2011 school year if the governor signs a bill passed by both houses of the Legislature and the school board approves a new calendar.
“That means everyone — teachers, custodians, and everyone including me,” he said.
Employees will be allowed to use a half day of their personal leave during each of the three days, he explained. “If they don’t have any personal leave left, then their pay will be docked three days,” he said.
Miller questioned whether teachers had been informed about the possible furloughs. Ferguson told the board he had sent the information to the principals but did not know whether teachers had been advised. Miller suggested teachers should first be informed before a calendar is agreed on.
“I’m not saying I’m against it; I just think teachers should be included in the discussion, since it’s their livelihood,” she said.
The board voted to approve the calendar, 4-1, with Miller abstaining.
Also Thursday, Ferguson asked the board to reduce the amount sports programs must pay for use of school buses — now $1 a mile.
Ferguson told the board the district must play certain schools as set forth by Mississippi High School Athletics Association, and some schools do not bring many people. That means the school doesn’t make enough money to pay officials.
The schedule includes some long trips to places such as Lowndes County.
“We have some sports that are non-revenue for the school,” Ferguson said. “The junior high games don’t bring in much money. Just don’t charge them so much.”
Miller said she favored “doing whatever it takes.”
Kuykendall said he did not understand why the money from athletic programs goes into activity funds rather than the school district.
Board President Ben Shute said, “If the football program can’t pay its way, we should just do away with it. It’s all about academics — academics, academics, academics.”
Kuykendall chastised those in attendance who expressed displeasure at the members’ attitudes about the athletic costs.
“This board has done more than any board in the past 50 years — built a new field, new gymnasium, new band hall,” he said.
After much discussion about the necessity of the programs’ paying their own expenses, the board voted to leave the mileage amounts as they are.
The superintendent announced that J.Z. George seniors had made the best ACT scores ever, with 23 of them beating state averages. The board agreed on a resolution congratulating them at today’s senior awards day program.
