At least two Commission on Starkville Consolidated School District Structure members will answer questions about the group’s merger plan at 7 p.m. Wednesday during a Twitter town hall event, Starkville School District officials confirmed.
SSD Superintendent Lewis Holloway and committee member Rex Buffington will participate in the Parents for Public Schools Starkville- and Greater Starkville Development Partnership-moderated event.
Organizers say they scheduled the event to entice dialogue and questions about the merger before the commission holds its public hearing 6 p.m. Thursday at the Greensboro Center. During the latter event, the commission will seek input on its tentative short- and long-term plans to consolidate Oktibbeha County School District with SSD. Back-and-forth dialogue is not expected during that session.
Moderators will take Wednesday’s feedback and submit it to the consolidation group prior to its traditional listening session.
The public can observe the discussion by following @PPSStarkville, @GSDPartnership, @MSCollegeTown and @StarkvilleSD, or by searching for the #stkcsd hashtag. Combined, those four Twitter handles reach almost 11,000 followers.
The Partnership has previously utilized social media for similar discussions, including 2012’s Starkville town hall session. GSDP CEO Jennifer Gregory said education is a major factor in job attraction efforts, and her organization remains committed to promoting all local institutions of learning.
“We want this to be a one-stop shop for information on what’s happening with consolidation. Public hearings are typically listening sessions for a body and do not really allow an opportunity for give and take,” PPS Starkville President Michelle Jones said. “Clarity and discourse: that’s what driving us. The plan is now open for public comment, but questions still remain. Those that have questions want answers to form their own opinion.”
Last week, the merger committee approved a tentative school logistics plan that will preserve the county’s two elementary schools and send its high school students to Starkville High School. Overstreet School would take in the city’s sixth grade students on a short-term basis, according to the plan, which would then free up space at Armstrong Middle School for an influx of seventh and eighth graders.
Facilities require upgrades and renovations in the short-term plan, but Holloway previously said the school system would be ready for July 2015’s state-mandated consolidation.
The district’s long-term plan calls for the construction of a new campus for grades 8-9 — ninth grade would be pulled from SHS — for an estimated $14 million. With an aggressive building schedule, Holloway said the campus could open its doors for the 2016-2017 academic school year. A new site would also allow the consolidated system to move sixth and seventh graders to AMS.
In August, PPS Starkville and the Starkville Foundation for Public Education launched a 10-point pledge to improve countywide education. Since then, 267 residents, public officials and businesses have signed the commitment.
“This goes right back to our pledge that we developed,” Jones said. “We just want the best educational opportunities for all of the children of Oktibbeha County. We need to have these conversations.”
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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