More study before consolidation

Gov.’s recommendation not going over well

By Eloria Newell James and Charlotte A. Graham, Laurel Leader-Call Reporters

Governor Haley Barbour’s proposal to consolidate some public schools has many educators concerned.

In his budget proposal this week, the governor suggested the merging of the state’s three historically black universities and the consolidation of some of the state’s public school districts as a means to combat budget woes.

However, superintendents of local and area school districts said more information and study need to be done.

Laurel School District Superintendent Dr. Glenn McGee and West Jasper School District Superintendent Warren Woodrow said it’s important for all to remember the focus of school districts.

“Like everyone else, this has caught me by surprise,” Woodrow said about the recommendation. “They should study the issue before making a recommendation. Now, it appears that the recommendation was made before a study was conducted.”

But while McGee said Barbour’s recommendations caught him off guard, Jones County School District Superintendent Steve Thrash said he was not surprised that Barbour included consolidation of school districts as part of his Fiscal Year 2010 budget proposal.

“There are areas of the state where several small districts are in close proximity to one another, and I can understand why those districts are up for discussion,” he said. “Fortunately for Jones County, our school district is the eighth largest in the state and should not be a target for consolidation.”

McGee said he hopes state officials remember the focus of educational institutions in the midst of the state’s budget woes.

“With state revenues on the decline, we will be faced with many challenges as budgets are cut for public education,” he said. “Every governmental entity from the federal level to the local level will be searching for cost-cutting measures. Whatever those may be, we must keep our focus on the children of Mississippi, and we must do what is best for our children.”

Woodrow agreed.

“I have a concern that the consolidation proposal would have an adverse effect,” he said. “There’s a lot of issues that would have to be considered before this could take place. ...I’m also not sure that it could be a cost-saving measure.”

Kyle Nobles, superintendent of the Richton School District in Perry County, said he cannot say how his school district will be affected without knowing exactly what Barbour is proposing. 

“Rumor is that they will target low-performing districts only, but I have no way to verify that,” he said. “I can say that the folks in Richton like having contact with school board members they know and have easy access to. I would like to see some data supporting the Governor’s claim that consolidation will result in significant savings.”

Stating he is neither for nor against Barbour’s proposal of school consolidation, Perry County School District Superintendent Dr. Gregory Scott Dearman said that while consolidation may save money in some places, it’s not going to be enough to bail the state out of the budget crisis it now faces.

“Consolidation is not a silver bullet,” he said. “I think that in the course of the next couple of weeks, you will see organizations, teachers, Parent Teacher Organizations, school boards and superintendents put together a way of addressing the budget crisis.”

Officials said a lot of factors will have to be explored before the impact of the Barbour’s proposal can be assessed.

“When it comes to proposed major changes, every facet of the public education system and community must be considered, and the wishes of the population must be taken into account,” McGee said. “In the midst of these challenging times, we don’t know what every aspect of our future holds. However, we do know that our future will be about the continuation of our mission to build a community of life-long learners.”

Woodrow said more study needs to be done on the issue.

“I haven’t seen any feasibility study done. ... I don’t think a lot of study has been done or a lot of conversation concerning the proposal. ... I’m not aware of any superintendent being included in conversations about this recommendation,” Woodrow said. “It’s a very large issue that needs to be carefully considered. ... A lot of research and input needs to be put into this before any action is taken.”

Efforts to reach superintendents in the East Jasper School District, Wayne County School District and Smith County School District were unsuccessful.

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