Thursday, Superintendent of Education Jim Ray attended his first board meeting with the Carroll County School Board to a room that was standing room only. After the meeting, Ray was welcomed to the district with a reception.
In their first order of business, the board voted Donnie Wiltshire as the new board president, John Phillips as the new Vice-President and Stella Washington-Bell as the secretary.
The board heard from Assistant Superintendent Dr. Wendy Hubbard, who gave the board a district update. The board approved the district’s revised corrective action plan, and dropout prevention plan. Hubbard said the district goes back before the Mississippi Department of Education board in February to see if their accreditation will be restored.
The district was placed on probation after an audit was conducted over the summer in which the district failed. The district has several deadlines to correct the areas that were outlined in the audit.
In their next order of business, the board amended their August 2019 minutes to include that Ray accepted a $98,000 salary.
“I have a question, when did we discuss this?” Board member Stella Washington-Bell asked. She said when the board met, they discussed a range of $95,000 to $100,000, and Wiltshire was to take the range back to Ray to negotiate.
Board attorney Lori M. Bell said she was told the amount to put in the contract and said the board did decided on the $95,000 to $100,000 range.
“But, I wasn’t there for the negotiations. I have nothing to do with that part. I just put in the contract what I was told,” Bell said.
Washington-Bell said Wiltshire never came back to the board and said what Ray agreed upon, but Wiltshire said that he did come back to the board.
The board also changed their meeting place to the J.Z. George Band Hall. Wiltshire said the reason for the change was because of the audit from MDE and the fact the Vaiden Town Hall can’t hold as many people that come to the meetings now.
“You saw all those folks in here. They wouldn’t near about fit in Vaiden,” Wiltshire said. “And, MDE said they can’t hear us and we have to be heard.”
“Vaiden has a mic system,” Washington-Bell said. “We’ve just never asked for it, but they have one.”
Wiltshire said the move also met the requirement of the audit from the Mississippi Department of Education.
“Well, I guess with the excuses and reasons you gave that we should move it. So, I make the move that we move the meeting location to the J.Z. George High School Band Hall,” Washington-Bell said. The motion was approved unanimously.
