The Greenwood Leflore Consolidated School Board is set to resume discussions regarding building a new school and furthering the consolidation process begun in 2019.
At its most recent work session, Dr. Ro’Shaun Bailey, board president, said he and Dr. Kalanya Moore, vice president, had met with Superintendent James Johnson-Waldington to discuss passing a bond issue to build a new school.
“We asked if attorney (Carlos) Palmer would begin looking at a timeline for a bond issue, to see if we want to get it on the November ballot,” Bailey told the board.
Palmer, the board’s attorney, said he has forwarded some documents to Johnson-Waldington and is in the process of reviewing others.
“There’s going to have to be a revisit to some of the actions the board took concerning the district,” Palmer told the board, but he did not say what those actions are.
He added that the outside attorney hired by the board to navigate the consolidation makes a huge difference.
“But,” he said, “it’s important that the district has a vision of what it wants to do and the associated costs. November would probably be the most feasible, but we’ve got to move if that’s going to be the district’s priority.”
“We probably don’t want March to leave without making that determination,” Johnson-Waldington said. He mentioned concerns with having ample time to communicate with the Mississippi Department of Education should the board linger in its decision-making.
Part of the consolidation process the board also mentioned was the closure of some schools. Currently, the district operates 12 regular schools, the Career and Technical Education Center and an alternative school.
“That is a lot for a school district that’s only getting funding for 4,059 students,” Johnson-Waldington said.
Moore suggested the board enter closed session during it’s next meeting, scheduled for 5 p.m. March 14, to discuss the matter.
In other business, the board:
Discussed implementing professional development for staff and education for students to address bullying in the district.
Discussed revising the district’s social media policy regarding what can be filmed on school grounds and posted online.
Discussed how to retain school safety and resource officers.
Contact Katherine Parker at 662-581-7239 or kparker@gwcommonwealth.com.
