Ruleville Central High School will be getting a new name.
After a brief discussion in an earlier work session about changing the name of RCHS to Thomas Edwards High School, the Sunflower County Consolidated School District Board of Trustees added the item to the agenda and voted unanimously in regular session to change the name of the north end school in honor of the late superintendent of the former Sunflower County School District.
His son Thomas Edwards Jr. addressed the board after their decision on Tuesday night and expressed his gratitude for them extending the recognition to his father.
“My father dedicated his life to the Sunflower County School District,” he said.
Thomas Jr. had petitioned the board of trustees earlier in the year to rename the school however the decision was placed on hold during the board’s Sept. 13 meeting, because it was determined that the district’s policy stated that an individual would have to be deceased before a structure can be named or re-named in their honor.
At that meeting SCCSD board President Edward Thomas made a motion to change the wording of the school board policy and rename the school for Edwards, however Board Attorney Carlos Palmer suggested a review of the policy before any changes were made. After an appeal by member Debra Johnson to make Thomas’ request two separate motions, a vote was taken to alter the policy and President Thomas and member Emma Golden voted yes while member Melanie Townsend-Blackmon voted no and Johnson abstained. Board member Torrey Bell was absent.
Townsend-Blackmon said they were not against the change but there is a proper protocol that needed to be met and everyone needed to be made aware of it “in all fairness.” She also maintained that others had approached her with additional suggestions for naming the school.
President Thomas attempted to move ahead with his second motion to rename the school once the policy has been revised. However, Palmer intervened. “I would advise the board to wait until the policy process takes place first,” he said.
The policy was submitted for review, but no further actions were taken at that time due to other concerns. In the interim, Edwards passed away in November. Thomas Jr., expressed his remorse that the change was not made while his father was still alive. He told the trustees on Tuesday that it had been 39 days since his father’s death.
