The Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District will be losing another member of its top brass on June 30.
At the school board meeting Tuesday night, it was announced that Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Jody Woodrum would be leaving along with retiring Superintendent Lewis Holloway. Woodrum has been an educator for more than 30 years and worked with Holloway in the Bulloch County School District in Georgia, coming out of retirement to serve in Starkville in October 2012.
“We appreciate everything she’s done for us and it will be a sad day on June 30 when she leaves,” said board president Jenny Turner.
According to SOCSD Public Information Officer Nicole Thomas, replacing Woodrum would most likely be the responsibility of Holloway’s successor.
The board also approved the ground lease for the SOCSD/Mississippi State University Partnership School, voting 4 to 0 with board assistant secretary Lee Brand Jr. absent. Board attorney John Hill said fine-tuning the lease was difficult, but everything is now in order. Among other things, the lease will lay out the relationship between the partnership school and MSU.
“All things considered, I think it’s a fair lease.” Hill said. “I think it’s clear on what the responsibilities are… Long story short, we’re going to control the inside of the building, and (MSU is) going to control the outside. They’re going to keep up the grounds, the exterior. We’re going to keep up the interior. We’re going to provide those services.”
The lease also covers separation between MSU students and students at the partnership school, with the exception of education students involved in observation and research at the partnership school.
“It’s outlining the actual business of these two things,” Holloway said. “We hire our people. They hire their people. That’s how this is shaping up. It’s a little bit daunting to imagine what could possibly come up. We’re trying to be forward-thinking enough to get most of the problems addressed before you get there.”
Last week, the board approved a bid for a $16 million bond for the partnership school and other district projects. The bid will be handled through Robert W. Baird and Company.
Once complete, the partnership will serve the district’s sixth and seventh graders, as well as serving as a laboratory for the MSU College of Education.