WINONA – The Montgomery County School Board voted to move forward in preparation of school starting in less than 80 days in the event the district’s federal lawsuit is successful in stopping the consolidation of the Winona and Montgomery County public schools.
According to Wendy Hubbard, Superintendent of Education for Montgomery County School District, current Montgomery County teachers were given a letter of non-renewal of employment contracts for the 2018-2019 school year, at the instruction of Mike Kent with the Mississippi Department of Education. Kent said the reason for issuing non-renewals of employment for the teachers is because according to the consolidation bill, the Montgomery County School District ceases to exist after June 30, 2018.
Because the bill does not dictate the disillusion of the Winona Separate School District, Winona has issued letters of intent to their teachers.
At Tuesday’s meeting of the Montgomery County School Board, Kent urged the board to work to staff necessary positions “as if the school district will reopen” in the event the district’s federal litigation is successful in stopping the consolidation. Kent suggested the board staff the district, according to the restructured district plan the board voted on during the March meeting.
Hubbard said the restructured district plan will put all Montgomery County students, from grades pre-kindergarten to 12th grade, in the same building under the leadership of one teacher and staffed with the necessary faculty and staff for the students.
“You have tentatively rearranged the district,” Kent said. “You need to vote to allow the superintendent to staff the basic needs. You can add to the staff later on if needed.”
Kent said the district needed to create contracts containing a contingency clause terminating the contract if the litigation is not successful, and the districts consolidate on July 1.
“We need to at least nail down some staff for the reorganized structure so they can have school on August 1,” Kent said.
The board voted unanimously to move forward with staffing the restructured district contingent on if the district still exists and if funding is available.
In other consolidation news:
• Montgomery County School District’s appeal challenging decisions made by the Winona Montgomery Consolidated School Board at its February 13 meeting was dismissed by Fifth Circuit Judge Joseph Loper, Jr., for lack of jurisdiction. According to Montgomery County President Al White, that decision will be appealed by the district.
• A meeting of the Winona Montgomery Consolidated School District’s school board was held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, following the regular meetings of the Montgomery County School Board and the Winona Separate School Board. The consolidated school board approved hiring staff for the consolidated district office at the recommendation of the supervisors.
Judy Collins, currently with the Winona School District, was hired as executive to the superintendent and clerk of the school board. June Mitchell, currently with the Winona School District was hired as accounts payables/fixed assets clerk. Lynea Watson, currently with the Montgomery County School District, was hired as the accountant. Karen Rodgers, currently with the Winona School District was hired as academics secretary. Dr. Angela Bridges with Winona School District will be federal programs assistant for the consolidated district, and Lisa Branch, currently of Winona School District, with be the special services assistant for the new district. Lisa Pickle, currently with Winona School District, will be the operations secretary. Betty Forrest, currently with the Montgomery County School District, will be the child nutrition supervisor. Wesley King, currently with Winona School District, will be the technology supervisor. Felicia Griffin, currently with Montgomery County School District, will be the Winona Secondary School bookkeeper and secretary.
• During the public comments portion of the consolidated school board meeting, two teachers from Montgomery County School District asked the board about when teachers will know about job openings or needs within the consolidated school district.
Board President Mark Middleton told the teachers that because of the pending litigation, the board has no concrete information about job needs and other details pertaining to the consolidated school district.
Dr. Teresa Jackson, superintendent of the Winona Montgomery Consolidated School District, explained to those in attendance at the meeting that because she has not been given the necessary data from the Montgomery County School District, certain decisions cannot be made. Jackson said all of her requests for data, with the exception of one, has been denied by the Montgomery County School District.
Angela Britton, librarian for Montgomery County School District, said, “Time is ticking down for us [teachers]. We are all looking for jobs.”
Jackson said because July 1 is looming, and the school year is set to begin in less than 80 days, she will eventually have to make decisions without the necessary data.
Montgomery County School District Attorney Chynee A. Bailey explained that the reason requests for data has been denied is because of the pending litigation.
