Choctaw County schools consolidating?
- Thread starter Maroon Eagle
- Start date
small schools that could be unified.........I know those are tough decisions and that the identity of a lot of these small towns are the schools and their sports team but I think it's eventually going to happen anyway.....
in both.They both have stong points and week points. Big isn't automatically better and little isn't automatically bad, or vice versa. Quality has a LOT more to do how the school is run and the parental and community support behind it than how big the school is.
Ackerman and Weir combined together could be a pretty darn good small school football team. Look out 3A or whatever they would be.
is a friend of mine. He was also Weir's QB, so we've played against each other back in the day. I put a bug in his ear that I'd like to do the new logos/wordmarks for the new school. I grew up in Ackerman and it would mean a lot to me to be part of it. I wonder what name they'll come up with. too bad Choctaw Central is taken.
...which are in two school districts, there are also two private schools. And this is a county with a population of about 17,000.
to see what the cost per pupil is in MS schools and districts. I know the data is out there but I couldn't find it. It would be interesting to see what that actually is large vs small. I know one of the biuggest around here has the highest spending and the worst school.
Same thing with may county. Three school districts and three schools with about 15,000. Crazy!! Why do we pay three superintendents, keep three separate school systems funded?
In my county, I can see keeping all three schools to keep the busing down but why must we pay for three districts?
In my county, I can see keeping all three schools to keep the busing down but why must we pay for three districts?
Vardaman, Bruce, and Calhoun City need to merge. At the High School level that is. I didn't grow up there but I have a Niece and Nephew there. They have rotating teachers for some subjects and some sunjects are only available through some sort of on-line coorespondence becaus hte district can't bring in full time teachers for each little High School. It's really rediculous that they don't, but apparently all the old timers want their kids to go to the same school they went to.
Here is my opinion.
The school district was underfunded by over $720,000.00 last year. The county's total population is down by 2,000fromthe 2000 census to 2010 census.Student enrollment is down by 300 county wide. With cost going up they simply can't afford to keep all three schools open. The tax revenue is just simply not what it once was and costs are rising.
If they don't consolidate it wouldn't be another year or two before the district ran out of money and couldn't pay it's bills. Then the State would take over and probably do a forced consolidation. At least by doing this now, they are taking control of the situation and they get to choose how it will be done.
The majority of the people that I heard were positive aboutthemerger but there are some concerns. Busing, school will be out of town etc...
The savings listed in the article was just in teacher salaries and doesn't even begin to countallthe monies that will be saved from notfunding multiple ball teams etc... Plus, all kids will have access to so many more electives and all the kids will have an equal shot at an expanded curriculum.
One of the best benefits will be to the teachers. They won't be having four preps any longer and they will be able to focus oneach classrooms needs rather than always preparing for a different subject matter. That little tidbit right there alone is enough reason to want this.
There are some nay sayers but the problem is the lack of knowledge or lack of the school district informing the people of the problem but the superintendent just took over this semester and he is being hit by this as well.
All in all, I can't see a better solution for this district.
The school district was underfunded by over $720,000.00 last year. The county's total population is down by 2,000fromthe 2000 census to 2010 census.Student enrollment is down by 300 county wide. With cost going up they simply can't afford to keep all three schools open. The tax revenue is just simply not what it once was and costs are rising.
If they don't consolidate it wouldn't be another year or two before the district ran out of money and couldn't pay it's bills. Then the State would take over and probably do a forced consolidation. At least by doing this now, they are taking control of the situation and they get to choose how it will be done.
The majority of the people that I heard were positive aboutthemerger but there are some concerns. Busing, school will be out of town etc...
The savings listed in the article was just in teacher salaries and doesn't even begin to countallthe monies that will be saved from notfunding multiple ball teams etc... Plus, all kids will have access to so many more electives and all the kids will have an equal shot at an expanded curriculum.
One of the best benefits will be to the teachers. They won't be having four preps any longer and they will be able to focus oneach classrooms needs rather than always preparing for a different subject matter. That little tidbit right there alone is enough reason to want this.
There are some nay sayers but the problem is the lack of knowledge or lack of the school district informing the people of the problem but the superintendent just took over this semester and he is being hit by this as well.
All in all, I can't see a better solution for this district.
they are throwing around the Patriots, but with Winston Academy right down the road with the same thing, I'd imagine that's not likely to happen. I do think there will be some attempt to combine Weir's and Ackerman's primary colors though. I'm from Ackerman too, so I'm interested to see what they come up with and how fast this all moves in the next couple of months. Good luck if you get the chance to have any input.
You're right on them keeping the colors of the schools. I did hear that. Weir-red & AHS/FCA-blue(s). So, Patriots would make some sense.
It's Eupora/East Webster. They're literally about 12-15 mins apart and the only schools in Webster Co. Even their school colors are the same. Wood Jr would be a perfect HS campus for them. I cant believe EW didnt scoop up that campus permenantly after the tornado. FOR SOME REASON, they wanted to re-build and costly stay in reclusive Cumberland (where i went my Jr-Sr yrs). I just don't understand. -Chillbilly, EW c/o '96
Cleveland is barely half the size of Starkville by population, and not even a third of Starkville in land area, yet there are two high schools within the city limits alone, not to mention Rosedale, Shaw, and a few other county schools, while Oktibbeha county has 2 high schools and Starkville only has 1. I mention Starkville just for comparison's sake.
I mostly read on here, but I HAD TO respond to this... <div>ChillbillyDawg said:
</div><div>I graduated from Eupora in the class of 2011, and I absolutely HATED East Webster. Those two schools at this point in time could not co-exist and the two sides of the county absolutely hate each other, but there is a solution that I would like to see acted upon</div><div>
</div><div>Starting in 2014 combine the kindergarten, and each proceeding year combine the next grades...That should negate the hatred for those two...You couldn't just combine the two high schools at this point in time, and expect everything to be okay...It would have been bad if they combined them during my high school years</div><div>
</div><div>I think they have to be combined, but you have to strategize it...I say they have to be combined for economic reasons, but if I had to put it to a vote, I wouldn't vote for it...Because I love Eupora High School too much</div>
Union County's population is about 27,000 and has the New Albany schools plus four K-12 schools in the county. That's one 4A (barely), three 1A, and one 2A.<div>
</div><div>Myrtle and West Union are only about 6 miles from each other as the crow flies. West Union and Ingomar are about 8 miles apart (again, in a straight line). East Union is a bit more isolated. All but EU can fit in a circle with a radius of about 6 miles. Add EU and the circle still only has a 10-mile radius.</div><div>
</div><div>Union County doesn't need five high schools.</div>
</div><div>Myrtle and West Union are only about 6 miles from each other as the crow flies. West Union and Ingomar are about 8 miles apart (again, in a straight line). East Union is a bit more isolated. All but EU can fit in a circle with a radius of about 6 miles. Add EU and the circle still only has a 10-mile radius.</div><div>
</div><div>Union County doesn't need five high schools.</div>
Just a few corrections NA is the 17th largest of the 50 4A schools. Additionally if you add the enrollment of the 4 county schools, they would have 141 more students than NA. A 1,300 student school is not ideal especially with the growth expected to continue in the county. Two 4A high schools would be ideal, it will never happen due to county folks, but ideal. However that would be political suicide for an elected supt (which also needs to change statewide). Also, not sure how much upper level staff you would lose going to one district. Neither is top heavy. Lastly, it is 20 miles from EU to Myrtle for whatever it's worth.
<div>
</div><div>
</div><div>I was just going by my last recollection. I was trying to find the enrollment numbers on the MHSAA website (I've seen them there before but couldn't find them quickly now) and thought I remembered it being one of the smallest 4A schools. It was 3A for years (outside of a brief time in 4A in the 90s). Interesting to see it's growing.</div><div>
</div><div>
Oh, no doubt. I'm originally from NA (went to then W.P. Daniel HS), and I agree that this would never happen. But it would be the best thing for everybody.</div>
there were in this State and then gave specific examples of the number that were in some specific counties and told the salaries......The consolidation of Superintendents and other school administration personnel would be HUGE......One thing that would go up would be transportation costs........I'm an advocate of cutting costs but only if the money saved is spent wisely.......
any other county. Rosedale, Benoit and Shaw are being discussed as three going to one. Or it may already have happened. It won't happen in Cleveland. They fight it every time it comes up. You figure out why. Here's a link to an op Ed type piece explaining more. Look at the Benoit stats.
http://www.mspolicy.org/m...tary_view.php?entryID=14
http://www.mspolicy.org/m...tary_view.php?entryID=14
I thought French Camp was private.
Regardless, our state needs to consolidate a lot if things. For example, we have just 8 fewer people in the Mississippi legislature than Texas has in the Texas legislature. But Texas has 8 times the population of Mississippi.
Similar stats are true with school districts and all manner of taxpayer-funded administrators. We've got roughly 10 times more government than a state this size needs.
Think about it. We need a tenth as many universities as we currently have (do the math, then round up).
Regardless, our state needs to consolidate a lot if things. For example, we have just 8 fewer people in the Mississippi legislature than Texas has in the Texas legislature. But Texas has 8 times the population of Mississippi.
Similar stats are true with school districts and all manner of taxpayer-funded administrators. We've got roughly 10 times more government than a state this size needs.
Think about it. We need a tenth as many universities as we currently have (do the math, then round up).
They combined Madison-Ridgeland High with East Flora HS.
The East Flora people did NOT like it. They didn't like traveling all the way to Madison to go to school and they didn't like the fact that their school was gone. To this day, they would prefer to have their own school.
When we started school, all the East Flora people stayed together for the most part and there were some problems- fights and stuff like that. You could tell that they were not happy.
But as corny as it sounds, the football team kind of brought us together because they were good and it was something that everyone was proud of. And the tensions started to go away.
I think the same thing would sort of happen with Eupora/East Webster or any other school that would combine. There would be some tensions and problems like we had- but eventually things will come together because everyone will identify those schools as one entity.
The East Flora people did NOT like it. They didn't like traveling all the way to Madison to go to school and they didn't like the fact that their school was gone. To this day, they would prefer to have their own school.
When we started school, all the East Flora people stayed together for the most part and there were some problems- fights and stuff like that. You could tell that they were not happy.
But as corny as it sounds, the football team kind of brought us together because they were good and it was something that everyone was proud of. And the tensions started to go away.
I think the same thing would sort of happen with Eupora/East Webster or any other school that would combine. There would be some tensions and problems like we had- but eventually things will come together because everyone will identify those schools as one entity.
Most people in the county are not opposed to consolidation, but most are opposed to the plan that was adopted. The superintendent's wife is married to the second cousin of two different school board members. Those two school board members are first cousins. The superintendent and one of those members live in French Camp. The other cousin lives in Ackerman, but his loyalties lie in French Camp. Those two board members were able to convice one other weak and easily manipulated board member into passing the plan, which did pass on a 3-2 vote. At French Camp, there is a public elementary school that goes through eighth grade. French Camp Academy a private Christian school has a high school consisting of a 9-12 grade. Most all of the public school students then walk across the street and attend FCA their last four years of school,instead of attending Weir High School, which is where they would otherwise attend. Under the consolidation plan, French Camp Elementary school will only be a pre-K- 5th grade school. The private academy now intends to open a 6-8 grade middle school at the academy. Most everyone feels like the plan that was adopted was done so to protect the interest of FCA and the parents and children in French Camp. Needless to say, the board member from Ackerman that voted for the plan has become one of the most hated men in town, because everyone that voted for him believes that he stabbed them in the back and voted against the interests of those he was elected to represent.
From what I hear, there is now going to be a bunch of hell unleashed. French Camp Academy plays football free of charge on a football field located onsixteenth section land and uses that and other public school property as if it belongs to them. People from the private academy are also allowed to come into the public school and preach to the students. Coaches from the academy coach athletic teams at the public school. Students in the eighth grade,the public school, play on French Camp Academy sports teams, even though the schools are separate, distinct, and have no legal affiliation with each other. In essence, French Camp Academy uses players that do not go to school there. There are certainly rumblings that the MSHAA is very soon going to be invited to investigate FCA's use of illegal players and that the state auditor and the secretary of state are going to be invited to investigate the school board for allowing sixteenth section land and other public property to be misued. My prediction is that it will be a long, hot summer in Choctaw County.
From what I hear, there is now going to be a bunch of hell unleashed. French Camp Academy plays football free of charge on a football field located onsixteenth section land and uses that and other public school property as if it belongs to them. People from the private academy are also allowed to come into the public school and preach to the students. Coaches from the academy coach athletic teams at the public school. Students in the eighth grade,the public school, play on French Camp Academy sports teams, even though the schools are separate, distinct, and have no legal affiliation with each other. In essence, French Camp Academy uses players that do not go to school there. There are certainly rumblings that the MSHAA is very soon going to be invited to investigate FCA's use of illegal players and that the state auditor and the secretary of state are going to be invited to investigate the school board for allowing sixteenth section land and other public property to be misued. My prediction is that it will be a long, hot summer in Choctaw County.