The Sunflower County Consolidated School District held its monthly meeting on Tuesday at Carver Elementary School with only three of the five-member panel in session.
Member Emma Golden led the meeting, and several decisions were voted upon including the acceptance of funds from the Mississippi Department of Education that are to be distributed to the certified teachers at five eligible schools within the district.
According to Superintendent Miskia Davis, MDE now determines how the money is to be disbursed.
In addition, the trustees voted to change school board policy CNA, which provided a seven-day deadline for public records requests. Davis requested that the policy now reflect a 15-day period to give them more time to comply. “Because seven days, depending on what people are asking for, it can be a bit cumbersome,” she said.
The three-member panel also voted to revise their September 13, 2018 board minutes to reflect a change in the vote on a discussion regarding changing the board’s policy FB for renaming buildings after persons without them being deceased.
“So, if you will see it says that Mr. Thomas made the motion, Mrs. Golden seconded the motion, and the votes were cast. Mrs. Golden said yes, Mrs. Townsend said no, Mrs. Johnson abstained, Mr. Bell was absent and Rev. Thomas said yes. It said the ayes have it and the motion was carried, but out beside there you see that it reads what… It died,” Davis said.
So, Davis submitted that it should be corrected and read that the motion passed. Member Debra Johnson then stated that she didn’t think she abstained on that particular motion. “I did abstain on a motion that night, but it was not this one,” she said.
Davis then offered Johnson and board member Melanie Townsend an opportunity to alter their original vote and make them yeses. “It passed either way, but if you want the board to reflect, Mrs Johnson, that you said yay. Mrs. Townsend, if you want it to reflect… we can do that,” said Davis.
The two women agreed and it was voted on and passed unanimously to make the change.
Also, based on minutes from another meeting held on May 10, 2016, before Davis was made superintendent, wherein the board approved to name a band hall after Levert Pickens, the group also voted to allow Davis to make sure the renaming was in compliance with district policy.
Davis said she just wanted to make sure the policy was followed with regard to renaming that particular building, which is why she asked for the board’s permission to “go back and make sure we followed the policy in renaming this building after Mr. Pickens.” She alluded to the possibility that the required resolutions may not have been completed.
