After Fifth Circuit Judge Joseph Loper, Jr., reversed the Winona-Montgomery Consolidated School District’s Board of Education’s decision to close Montgomery County High School and Montgomery County Elementary School earlier this week, the school board readdressed the decision to close the schools during Tuesday’s meeting.
The board voted again, 3-0, to close the two schools in Kilmichael for the upcoming school year. Board member Amy Ware was not present at Tuesday’s meeting.
In a July 6 order, Loper ordered the reversal of the April 23 vote to close the two schools located in Kilmichael. Loper stated in his opinion that the school closings were “arbitrary, capricious, and in violation of the statues dealing with school closures, since the board failed to offer any justification in its minutes for the school closures.”
The order was in response to a request made by the Montgomery County School District as part of their campaign for injunctive relief to halt the consolidation based on several points of concern including a current desegregation order issued to Montgomery County School District in 1970 and the make-up of the new consolidated school board.
Loper clarified that the school board does have the legal authority to close the schools as long as they follow the law.
At the April 23 meeting, Dr. Teresa Jackson, superintendent of education for the Winona-Montgomery Consolidated School District, went through a PowerPoint presentation outlining the reasons she recommended the board close the two schools. However, the minutes only reflected the vote and not the data presented.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Jackson outlined her reasons again.
“There were many factors considered by me and the Winona-Montgomery Consolidated School District Board of Education in the decision to close the two schools at Kilmichael including student achievement, academic and extracurricular opportunities, and financial responsibility,” Jackson said.
Jackson said that by joining resources, every student in the county can enjoy an “outstanding school district.” She explained that by closing the schools, it allows for an assistant teacher in every class from pre-kindergarten to second grade as well as a full-time librarian at Winona Secondary School and additional teachers at both schools.
Jackson cited the past academic performances in both school districts, with Winona ranked as a B district and Montgomery County as a D district.
“All students residing in Montgomery County deserve to have the same educational opportunities,” Jackson said.
She said that Winona schools offer 15 more academic courses and several art and extracurricular activities not available at Montgomery County schools.
Jackson said by bringing all the students together in Winona, it will “promote a unified, county-wide approach to educating all the students in the district.”
As for transportation to the schools, Jackson said although the district is still working on transportation logistics, she foresees shorter bus routes for many students.
Also in his opinion, in regards to Montgomery County School District’s motion, Loper stated that he could not rule on the desegregation order because that was the responsibility of the federal court. He also said the decision to close the schools could not be reversed because Montgomery County School District believed the current makeup of the school board is unfair.
In other school business:
• Those students who live in Montgomery County but were released by the Montgomery County School District in the past because they lived more than 30 miles from the school will be released for the upcoming school year if a release request is filed before July 31. Any further releases will have to be brought before the school board each year.
Recently, the Winona-Montgomery County School board voted to nullify student releases to other school districts after the board voted to close the two schools in Kilmichael because the 30 mile rule no longer applied. The only exceptions were for children of those teaching in another district and upcoming seniors and their siblings.
However, parents of several students currently attending school in Grenada County petitioned the board to allow their children to continue attending school and came before the board Tuesday night.
Following a meeting of executive session, the board voted to extend the releases of those who had petitioned in writing for one year, and they said they would honor the same decision to those parents of previously released students who petitioned in writing prior to July 31.
