Debra Prince, right, is sworn in by Notary Public Emily Ward. Prince was the sole applicant for her seat on the board after serving out the remainder of Anne Stricklin’s term following her resignation in 2017. (Photo by Charlie Benton, SDN)
The Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District Board of Trustees has laid out its leadership for the year.
The board elected its officers at its meeting Thursday night. John S. Brown will serve as president, Debra Prince will serve as vice president, Sumner Davis will serve as secretary, Jamila Taylor will serve as assistant secretary. Past President Lee Brand remains on the board as a member. Prince was also sworn in, as she was the sole applicant for her seat after completing former school board member Anne Stricklin’s term.
Brown was elected to his seat on the board in 2016, and described the current school board as one of the best he has worked with.
“I hope to continue the things that we’ve already started,” Brown said. “It’s a really good
group to work with.”
Brown said serving on the board had been a rewarding experience.
“I was a part of (Superintendent Eddie Peasant’s) hire, and other administrators,” Brown said. “It’s been a very good board to work with. I’ve got a previous history of working on other boards, and this is one of the best boards.”
The new officer positions are effective immediately. Several students were recognized at the meeting, including members of the Armstrong Middle School robotics teams. All four of Armstrong’s robotics teams took home awards, with the all-girl Gardeners of the Galaxy team coming in second overall in the state, and moving on to a regional tournament at the University of Arkansas. If they are successful there, the team will compete at the national level in San Jose, California.
Members of the SHS Singers also performed the National Anthem at the start of the meeting in recognition of Music in Our Schools Month.
The board then went through its first reading of the district’s drug testing policy. The policy will come up for a second reading and vote atthe board’s next regular meeting on April 9. The From page 1 policy would allow for the random drug testing of all high school students participating in extracurricular activities. Peasant said the district randomly tests approximately 30 students a month. On approval of the policy, the district will hire a firm to handle the testing.
Following a question from Prince, Peasant emphasized that district students who fail the test would not face drug charges, but would be suspended for a set number of weeks or events depending on their respective organization.
“It’s random, but that means that everyone’s name is in the pot,” Peasant said.
Prince also expressed some concern about the randomness of the tests.
“Theoretically, you can pick the same 30 every month,” Prince said.
In other business, the School Board
- Approved a Girl Scout Gold Award project to build a pavilion near the band practice field at SHS. Additionally, the board approved a right-ofway and easement for Atmos Energy to bring a gas line to the industrial park site, crossing district-owned land.
- Following a discussion in executive session, the board also approved the advertising of bids for the sale of the former Oktibbeha County School District’s bus barn located at the corner of Louisville Street and Gillespie Street in Starkville. All items were approved by a 4-0 vote, with Brand absent.