The Greenwood Leflore Consolidated School Board has voted to seek a bond issue to finance school renovations or to build a new school.
The board took the action during a meeting Tuesday at its Educational Services Building on U.S. 82. The public was not allowed to physically attend the meeting because of COVID-19 restrictions, but it was open for viewing live on the district’s website. A video of the meeting can be seen on YouTube.
Samantha Milton, board chairman, said details about a bond issue proposal are not set. “We haven’t come to an agreement about what we are going to do,” she explained.
A number of the buildings in the district, which was formed by the consolidation of the Greenwood and Leflore County districts last summer, are in need of repair. The architectural firm Beard & Riser surveyed the condition of structures on campuses throughout the district and reported to the board in recent months. The board has been advised on the process of pursuing a bond issue by its attorney, Kelvin Pulley, and Jamie Holloway, a municipal adviser for Government Consultants Inc. in Madison.
The board, at the recommendation of Superintendent Mary Brown, also decided to keep its campuses closed through April 30. The district closed the campuses March 16, following spring break, in compliance with Gov. Tate Reeves’ order to shut down schools statewide.
The district has been using the internet and paper packets to send assignments to students and receive their answers. Among the actions taken by the board Tuesday was to approve how the students’ grades will be determined for the fourth nine weeks.
“All students have grades for the first, second and third nine weeks,” Brown said. “We wanted to make sure we gave them grades for the fourth nine weeks.” Students will be rewarded for completing work in a timely manner.
The district also reinstituted its Grab & Go food distribution on Monday, through which students will be given enough breakfast and lunch for a week — although the meals will be handed out on Mondays and Wednesdays only. Pickup starts at 11 a.m. and ends at 1:15 p.m. at Claudine Brown Elementary, East Elementary, Threadgill Elementary, Threadgill Primary, Davis Elementary, Greenwood Middle and Leflore County High schools.
Brown said after the meeting that the service was suspended when a volunteer group stepped up to help by distributing meals, but the district has been notified the group is low on food.
Precautions, she said, are being taken to prevent the spread of infection. “We do have families that need those meals,” Brown said. The meals are being provided to all children ages 18 and younger.
The board closed its meeting to go into executive session to discuss job performance of employees. It took no action. The session lasted more than an hour.
•Contact Susan Montgomery at 581-7241 or smontgomery@gwcommonwealth.com.
