No one is more to blame than the administration for not getting the bond issue passed. They simply weren't sensible about what they were proposing, and they were proposing it in a very tough economy. If they had put in the bond issue the things that were needed plus some "moderate" improvements to athletic facilities, it would have passed. But they went way overboard and there was just entirely too much fluff in the bond issue and Weathersby thought he could sneak it through. I can't remember the exact figures, but there was a huge amount in the bond set aside as a contingency/slush fund to be used for whatever else. If anyone remotely qualified in Rankin County would ever run against Weathersby, I think they would win by a landslide. Weathersby has just made some unwise decisions. I don't have a problem with them building a decent building for the district, but $7 million dollars??? Also, while they were building the Taj Mahal, they were cracking down on expenses at the schools. They were instructing teachers they could only make a certain amount of copies for their lessons, they had to turn their computers off daily to save energy, etc, etc. Watching expenses is fine, but don't crack down on the schools while the district is building a massive new building.
OT Question for Northwest Rankin Parents
- Thread starter greenbean.sixpack
- Start date
I say
17 em, and make the move. NWR has always gotten the scraps from RCSB, while providing a great deal of the support. It's really amazing.
17 em, and make the move. NWR has always gotten the scraps from RCSB, while providing a great deal of the support. It's really amazing.
62% of RCSD tax money comes from 39047 or 39232. Losing NWR would do two things:
(1) NWR could become one of the best schools in the state really quickly. The second highest income area in the state with Clinton-like schools?
(2) Rankin County Schools, who have been propped up by NWR academically for years, would finally get to show their tax payers how bad the district really is. They would lose 25% of their schools (7 of the 28 are in NWR). And of those 7, the top five in all of RCSD are there. NW Middle and one of the elementary schools are a notch below the others. True, Brandon schools are pretty good, but it will be harder for them to prop up the rest of the county without NWR's help. Rankin County is a "C" district without NWR. Hell, they are barely a "B" now with them.
(1) NWR could become one of the best schools in the state really quickly. The second highest income area in the state with Clinton-like schools?
(2) Rankin County Schools, who have been propped up by NWR academically for years, would finally get to show their tax payers how bad the district really is. They would lose 25% of their schools (7 of the 28 are in NWR). And of those 7, the top five in all of RCSD are there. NW Middle and one of the elementary schools are a notch below the others. True, Brandon schools are pretty good, but it will be harder for them to prop up the rest of the county without NWR's help. Rankin County is a "C" district without NWR. Hell, they are barely a "B" now with them.
I've been surprised that Brandon hadn't had a separate school district for years especially since Pearl has one.
From What 615 just posted
It seems like Brandon would be foolish to want to break away from RCSD. I don't know about their schools and facilities overall, but they sure have a nicer HS and they only account while Flowood and the NWR side of Brandon accounts for the majority of the cash flow.
I guess the flip side of that it...what the hell is NWR waiting for, they should break away like Pearl.
It seems like Brandon would be foolish to want to break away from RCSD. I don't know about their schools and facilities overall, but they sure have a nicer HS and they only account while Flowood and the NWR side of Brandon accounts for the majority of the cash flow.
I guess the flip side of that it...what the hell is NWR waiting for, they should break away like Pearl.
Those were her words not mine. I don't remember what the figure was going towards the football stadium, but it was pretty damn high. She and I are both NWR graduates. I don't vote on these things, but I would tend to agree with her that most of that money should be going towards classroom facilities.
I posted the link earlier so you can see for yourself what it cost
And for all the people that go nuts over how much sports can teach kids or how much they learned playing sports, it's was bizarre that building a football field, softball field, and a practice field was like the most atrocious thing they could ever spend money on.
And for all the people that go nuts over how much sports can teach kids or how much they learned playing sports, it's was bizarre that building a football field, softball field, and a practice field was like the most atrocious thing they could ever spend money on.
As a NWR parent, I'd be gla to vote for such an issue
but not to subsidize a new football stadium for BHS.
but not to subsidize a new football stadium for BHS.
Brandon was going to get a new athletic facility. They got a new high school 10 years ago, but their athletic facilities are still at their old school - now the middle school.
NWR was going to get turf and a new track. No RCSD school has a track that can be used in competition. They use Pearl and Jackson Preps. NWR was going to sort of host the county's track.
Like I said, maybe tax dollars shouldn't pay for athletic facilities, but NWR needs a new school. That building was built in 1981 for 800 K-12 students. Now they have 1200 in 9-12. Half of the 6th-12th graders at NWR are in portable trailers. Now that is going to happen in the elementary schools.
And whether you like it or not, that affects our property value. If Flowood voted to form its own school district, it would pass 90%. The NWR zone passed the last bond issue. Every other zone turned it down, partly because NWR was getting a new high school and everyone else is treated like a stepchild.
Brandon was going to get a new elementary school out of the last deal as well for the 471/East Brandon folks.
These are the major things I would like to see in a bond issue.
1. New High School building at NWR built for 1500 students. Convert current NWR high school for 8th and 9th grade and current NWR middle for 7th and 8th grade.
2. New Elementary School in Brandon and a switch to a Community School Model instead of a Progressive School. (Now Brandon kids go one place for K-2, another for 3-4, and another for 5-6, etc.) Build another school and convert the four elementary schools to K-5.
3. Close McLaurin and consolidate them with Florence. McLaurin needs a new high school. Florence needs a new high school. Build one in between and call it South Rankin. It would be a large 5A school.
4. Brandon needs a new athletic facility at their actual high school. If artificial turf is the big deal, let it have grass, or let the school raise the money to upgrade it.
So are crayons, markers, and blank sheets of paper. Or coloring books. And real books. And parental involvement (not just a presence). But don't let any of this get in the way of your kid's retina display or anything. I wouldn't want them to unlearn all that technology.
Does each school down there, or at least each high school, have their own football stadiums? Around here the stadiums are centrally located and are shared, i.e., the stadiums are not on campus. I think most have gymnasiums though.
I'm sure there are many reasons for a teacher to have an iPad. The did it a little differently here. At the beginning of the school year, every student in the Huntsville City Schools was issued an IBM laptop or an iPad (for kids K-3, I think), and they are the largest school system in the country to "go electronic". And each teacher was issued a laptop. The students textbooks are on their computers, and they do virtually all their work and assignments on the computer. Presumably the younger ones having an iPad is mostly to familiarize them with computers in general. Teachers post grades there, have their syllabus there, lesson plans, and just about any other function you can think of. It seems to be working quite well after after they've gotten up on the learning curve a bit.
I'd like to see somebody run against Weathersby on a platform to QUADRUPLE taxes used for education, build nationally respected schools, dramatically boost teacher salary, and insist on quality standards for teachers - oh and boosting the hell out of property values.
Maybe throw athletics a bone. It will sustain and expand itself on the inrush of voluntary public support for the schools.
Maybe throw athletics a bone. It will sustain and expand itself on the inrush of voluntary public support for the schools.
Any chance of you running for school board? I don't have any confidence in our current board, especially the NWR representative.
Sturdivant is the Weathersby/Maulding lapdog, that's for certain.
The problem with someone like Grumpy Farmer is that he is too much against RCSD that he hinders the good things in order to make a point.
I'd run in a heartbeat, but my wife won't let me. I'd change some things in a hurry - like every one of the superintendent's kids not having a $100k+ job.
iPads for teachers/administrators/students don't bother me. What bothers me is high dollar landscaping contracts given to family members/friends of administrators despite not having the experience or the equipment needed for such a job. That's the tip of the iceberg.
Word is that Weathersby is not running again and that a current Asst. Superintendent (former NWR HS Principal?) will run. There had been a rumor that Weathersby was going to step down mid-term so his daughter could take over & run as an incumbent, but I think the salary issues of the family may have been too much for some folks.
According to a teacher in the system (who is in no way fond of the current administration or the last bond issue), the county supervisors built the palace in Brandon. That bunch of goat17ers needs to go, too.
According to a teacher in the system (who is in no way fond of the current administration or the last bond issue), the county supervisors built the palace in Brandon. That bunch of goat17ers needs to go, too.
Here's your 2015 Likely Candidates List
Jean Massey. Former NWR principal who left NWR to take an admin job with the state department of education. Well liked, and will win the NWR vote. Wouldn't rock the boat too much. Tons of education experience.
Grumpy Farmer. School board member/business man from Brandon. Has grinded his axe with the Weathersby clan, but still has some business to settle with some players inside the Taj Majal. Will win the Brandon vote, and will be popular with the anti-Weathersby crowd in other parts of the county. Lack of education experience didn't hurt Weathersby. He was a supervisor who realized the most powerful position in the county was school superintendent. Allegedly, he had his staff do all his doctoral work once he got elected.
Hugh Carr. Has dreamed about this position for years. He's been in the RCSD all is life and is now a deputy superintendent. I think he was a principal at Brandon High prior to his current gig. Would get the Brandon vote in a runoff, but I think Grumpy would beat him to get there. He's a smart man and may not run because he knows this.
Christy Maulding. May or may not run. Daughter of Weathersby and current deputy superintendent. Has been a teacher, principal and administrator. Like the other poster said, the rumor was that he would step down and have her named interim so she could run with that title, but those rumors have cooled off with all the attacks. I could see her running, and she would run strong in the South Rankin area, but I could see her trying to stay in her current role if anyone except Grumpy became superintendent. One of Grumpy's first moves might be firing her out of spite.
Richard Morrison. Here's a wildcard candidate for you. He's the principal at NWR that took over when Massey left. Super popular and all around good guy. Sort of younger, and he really respects Massey. I could see him stepping aside and letting Massey take this one and take more of an assistant superintendent role in her administration.
They'll be a couple of business people/retired teachers etc. that run, but these are the major players. I think it will be a Massey/Farmer finale with NWR going heavy to Massey and Brandon going heavy to Farmer. The folks in Pelahatchie and Puckett will decide whether they want an educator in charge or someone that just has an axe to grind.
Jean Massey. Former NWR principal who left NWR to take an admin job with the state department of education. Well liked, and will win the NWR vote. Wouldn't rock the boat too much. Tons of education experience.
Grumpy Farmer. School board member/business man from Brandon. Has grinded his axe with the Weathersby clan, but still has some business to settle with some players inside the Taj Majal. Will win the Brandon vote, and will be popular with the anti-Weathersby crowd in other parts of the county. Lack of education experience didn't hurt Weathersby. He was a supervisor who realized the most powerful position in the county was school superintendent. Allegedly, he had his staff do all his doctoral work once he got elected.
Hugh Carr. Has dreamed about this position for years. He's been in the RCSD all is life and is now a deputy superintendent. I think he was a principal at Brandon High prior to his current gig. Would get the Brandon vote in a runoff, but I think Grumpy would beat him to get there. He's a smart man and may not run because he knows this.
Christy Maulding. May or may not run. Daughter of Weathersby and current deputy superintendent. Has been a teacher, principal and administrator. Like the other poster said, the rumor was that he would step down and have her named interim so she could run with that title, but those rumors have cooled off with all the attacks. I could see her running, and she would run strong in the South Rankin area, but I could see her trying to stay in her current role if anyone except Grumpy became superintendent. One of Grumpy's first moves might be firing her out of spite.
Richard Morrison. Here's a wildcard candidate for you. He's the principal at NWR that took over when Massey left. Super popular and all around good guy. Sort of younger, and he really respects Massey. I could see him stepping aside and letting Massey take this one and take more of an assistant superintendent role in her administration.
They'll be a couple of business people/retired teachers etc. that run, but these are the major players. I think it will be a Massey/Farmer finale with NWR going heavy to Massey and Brandon going heavy to Farmer. The folks in Pelahatchie and Puckett will decide whether they want an educator in charge or someone that just has an axe to grind.
May be my circles (grew up in Brandon, live in Flowood, family in Brandon), but I can't find a damn soul who supports Weathersby. My inlaws go to church with one of the Board members who cannot stand him. I really think the only reason that he won this last time was because he was unopposed.
Lord help us all if that Grump ol goat wins it. Richard Morrison is the man that I want to see throw his name in. He is well respected by every person I know that works for RCSD and would definitely take the NWR vote. He is a little younger than all of the other candidates you listed which is a good thing. Are you sure Massey is even thinking of running? Her position with the state is a pretty good one. I see Morrison as the entire RCSD best hope at moving us in the right direction. No Grumpy Farmer please! Hugh Carr would be the 2nd choice Good man, experienced, and would do a great job. I just think that Morrison would be the best for my kids futures. Hope he decides to go for it.
My alma mater's facilities are awful. To look around and see what Pearl and Brandon have, then compare the last decade-plus' worth of growth, you can't help but wonder what the hell is going on. They need to build a completely new school and name it Flowood High.