With summer rapidly drawing to a close and students headed back to the classroom Aug. 6, the city school board seemed determined to tie up loose ends at Tuesday night’s meeting, finalizing next year’s budget and announcing a number of key personnel positions.
The Columbus Municipal School District’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved a $40.5 million budget for Fiscal Year 2012-2013, with one condition posed by board member Jason Spears: The district’s debt service must be fully funded so they can meet their obligations.
The board is asking the Columbus City Council for $12,858,482 million in ad valorem taxes. By state law, the council is required to levy the millage necessary to provide the requested sum.
The board must present the finalized budget to the city council by Aug. 15.
Board members also heard presentations from new principals Jill Savely of Columbus High School and Freda Dismukes of Columbus Middle School.
Savely said the top challenges the high school faces this year are raising test scores, improving the graduation rate and increasing the rigor of accelerated classes. She intends to implement common assessment tests every nine weeks to evaluate student performance. She is also hoping to work with East Mississippi Community College to provide dual enrollment and dual credit to at-risk students and high school dropouts.
Dismukes said improving test scores, discipline and parental involvement are her top three priorities this year.
In other news, the board selected Dr. Timothy Wilcox as the new principal at Cook Elementary Fine Arts Magnet School.
Wilcox, who was assistant principal at New Hope Elementary, replaces former Cook Principal Lois Kappler, who resigned in June to accept a position as project manager of Mississippi State University’s Research and Curriculum Unit.
Dr. Edna McGill, former assistant superintendent of the Lowndes County School District and a former Cook Elementary principal, will replace former Public Information Officer Janet Lewis, who recently retired from CMSD to accept a position as coordinator of instructional technology and marketing for Heritage Academy. McGill’s duties will also include coordinating professional development for district employees.
CMSD Personnel Director Dr. Myra Gillis was named director of accountability and compliance. Her role will be to implement and monitor accreditation and make sure the district meets state accountability standards.
After the board meeting, Board President Tommy Prude confirmed that Cook Vice Principal Kimberly Gardner is moving to the central office to become district test coordinator.
Gardner will be replaced by Kimberly Wright, former assistant principal at Columbus Middle School.
Superintendent Dr. Martha Liddell said all were previously existing, budgeted positions.
Carmen K. Sisson is the former news editor at The Dispatch.
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