Starkville school board members chose a new board president Tuesday night in a brief meeting where they decided not to go into closed session to discuss matters out of the public”s hearing.
With former president Pickett Wilson out of town, the board voted Keith Coble as president, Eddie Myles as vice president, Lee Brand as secretary and Eric Heiselt as assistant secretary. Wilson will finish her term on the board without holding an office.
When a majority of the board called the meeting late last week, they knew then that Wilson would be away. She resigned as president on Monday, saying she did so to promote harmony on the board and in the community.
Starkville Alderman Roy Perkins comment on Wilson”s resignation Monday in a prepared statement.
“I am apprised of Ms. Pickett Wilson”s decision to resign as president of the Starkville School District Board of Trustees this morning,” Perkins said. “I certainly appreciate her recognition of the need to make the appropriate and necessary change for the betterment of the Starkville School District and the city of Starkville.”
The board voted to bring in Mike Waldrop, executive director of the Mississippi School Board Association, to hold a training session for the board in an open meeting. This session will address school board operation and proper governance. The board has yet to set a date for this session, but intends to hold it in June, possibly in conjunction with a public hearing on the budget.
Before the election of officers, board members commented on what happened in last week”s meeting. That meeting saw then-president Wilson leave for about 15 minutes without a recess being taken, and saw a member of the audience escorted by police off premises for causing a disruption when she refused to stop addressing the board.
Heiselt apologized to the board and community for the “confusion and conflict” that occurred in the last meeting.
“We are a board of real people. This type of action will not be repeated,” Heiselt said.
Miles agreed with Heiselt”s prepared remarks.
“Eric said it all. It was deeply meant,” he said.
Brand”s comments were on the same subject. He said the incident “was not good for our community, was not good for our board.”
He spelled out his job with the district.
“My responsibility for being on the board is to abide by the polices and procedures and to be an ear for the community,” Brand said. “In listening to you, it does not mean we do as we”re told.”
After he was elected president, Coble took the opportunity to make his remarks. He said public schools are critical to the success of the community, and Starkville graduates do not compete with area graduates, but those from around the world.
“We have children who come from every educational advantage possible … and others coming to school who are the most mature person in their household, who have every impediment possible,” Coble said. “The district has to serve every student in this community. That”s a real challenge in Starkville.”
He called the just-completed school year a good one, and said the district is in financially sound shape despite the poor state economy and has well-defined goals. He said the board is evaluating an inclusive process that involves the whole community in its efforts to find a new superintendent.
“It”s a tough time to be looking for a superintendent,” Coble said. “We need everybody in this community to come together … to work with us to find the right superintendent for this district.”
The board”s agenda called for a closed, or executive session. However, in their closed determination of the need to go into executive session, the board decided they did not need to conduct business or discussions outside the public”s hearing.
The board will meet again at 6 p.m. May 31 at Sudduth Elementary”s multipurpose room to discuss the process for searching for a new superintendent and the desired attributes of the next superintendent. The public is invited to make up to three-minute comments on the subject at that time.
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