The Sunflower County Consolidated School District voted unanimously this week to extend Superintendent Miskia Davis’ contract for an additional two years.
Davis is still serving her first full year in office and her original contract does not expire until June, but according to President Edward Thomas the board is obligated to notify her by the end of February as to whether or not her contract would be renewed.
Thomas said although Davis has not completed her first full year, the board made their decision based on what they have seen so far. “We just feel like the district is headed in the right direction and it’s going to take more time to get it done and there is no need in changing now.”
Thomas said the board felt that giving Davis two more years would give her the opportunity she needs to try and turn the district around.
“We feel good about where it’s heading,” he said.
Davis was named interim superintendent in Dec. 2016, after then superintendent, Debra Dace, PhD., tendered her resignation.
Davis was appointed superintendent and given a one-year contract a few months later.
In other business,
The best average daily attendance award was presented to Ruleville Middle School and the most improved for the month was presented to Ruleville Central High. Gentry High school appears to be still plagued with a high number of student absentees.
As part of the monthly superintendent’s report, the board will now receive a monthly maintenance report.
“One of the things that the board has been consistently seeking is just more accountability from all of our departments and especially the maintenance,” Davis said.
Organizational Support Director Gared Watkins reported 44 documented maintenance requests with 39 completed. Davis informed the board that maintenance personnel are now operating under a three-day time constraint. All requested work must be completed or at least started within that time period.
The board was informed of a collective donation of $215,000 to the Early Learning Collaborative Program. And told that the district’s overall cash balance at the end of December was $14,017,486 with $5,414,000 coming from 16th-section lands. It has expended 44 percent of its budgeted expenditures and received 33 percent of its projected revenue.
