Doyle Carpenter went before the Carroll County School Board to complain about the lessee of 16th Section land near Booth Lake. Carpenter said there’s a gate that prevents him from taking care of his aunt and relatives.
He said he’s talked to Superintendent Jim Ray and Sheriff Clint Walker with no satisfaction. So, he came to talk to the board about the problem. Carpenter said he also spoke with Board Attorney Lori M. Bell, who told him the lessee of the property have to provide Carpenter with a code.
Bell said they have had people put up a fence before, and that wasn’t an issue, but they couldn’t block Carpenter from taking care of his relatives and had to give him access. Bell said at one time the road was accessible, but it hasn’t been maintained, although it’s still a public road.
“I told the man that he had to give the access code to Mr. Doyle,” Bell said.
She said the man obliged and finally gave Carpenter the code. However, the lessee changed the code, and Carpenter said he could no longer gain access to his relatives.
Bell said she spoke with the man and was told the code was changed because Carpenter was doing more than looking after his relatives. They claimed Carpenter was hunting and fishing on the land.
“I told him that he can’t do that, he has to give him or whoever access,” Bell said.
She told the lessee that if he felt Carpenter was hunting or fishing on the land as opposed to taking care of his relatives, then he should take it up with Gaming and Fishing or file trespassing charges. However, he has to give access to the landowners. Bell said he can’t prevent the other landowners from getting to their property.
The board approved Bell telling the lessee that he had to give the access code to the Central Office, and they would be responsible for giving it to Carpenter and the other landowners.
“Is that all I had to do?” Carpenter said. “I should’ve did this a long time ago.”
The board also took up matters of approving plans and policies for the 2021-2020 school year.
The first matter the board took up was the matter of the Student Handbook. The board previously approved the handbook back in July, however Assistant Superintendent Wendy Hubbard said there were some edits that needed to be made and brought back.
However, there were several questions from the board.
When the matter of the cellphone policy came up, Trustee Stella Washington-Bell asked if the policy had always been in place and if the third offense which is a $75 fine had always been in place.
Superintendent Jim Ray and Federal Programs Director Sara Johnson told Washington-Bell the policy was added after the district was sighted by the Mississippi Department of Education for not having a separate policy.
Principal Coretta Green said the policy has always been in the handbook, but it wasn’t separated out as a standalone policy.
Bell told the board that a lot of what they separated out could have been just approved in the consent agenda.
“If you have questions, that’s fine you can ask them. But, if you know something is federal and it’s something we do every year, it can go in the consent agenda,” Bell said.
“Can you help them out with that? You know we’re short a person up there,” Wiltshire said.
He also asked Central Office if they could sent packets earlier to give the board time to look over them.
Also, the board:
Approved the Crisis Management, Professional Development, Dropout, Foster Care, CTE, Cellphone/Electronic devices, verification of residency, English Language Learners, Highly qualified teacher, homeless/unaccompanied youth, neglected and delinquent, District Title I Parent Involvement, Marshall Elementary Title I Parent Involvement, J.Z. George High Title I Parent Involvement, Student/Teacher Ratio and Federal Fund and Student Participation in School Activities Policies.
Adopted the 2020-2021 Fiscal Year Budget
Approved employee recommendations and resignations
Approved responsible use policy and board policy revision schedule
