After a tie was broken by Starkville Mayor Parker Wiseman, the Starkville Board of Aldermen appointed Melissa Luckett to the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District Board of Trustees.
Luckett was one of two applicants for the seat, the other being Mississippi State University Educational Research Professor Debra Prince. Wiseman’s vote broke a 3-3 tie among the board, with Ward 4 Alderman Jason Walker removing himself from the Board.
“If indeed my vote becomes necessary, I will cast my vote for Mrs. Luckett,” Wiseman said before the board began the voting process. “My reasoning for it is this, Mrs. Luckett has been intricately involved the past seven years, before, during and after the process of school consolidation and construction of the partnership school."
He cited the continuity in those processes, with the departure of board members Eddie Myles and Jenny Turner as his main reason for supporting Luckett.
However, Wiseman spoke to the qualifications of both applicants and said he would be comfortable with either Luckett or Prince on the school board if his vote was not needed.
“My opinion may have no bearing in this process,” Wiseman said. “If that is the case, I will leave here satisfied no matter which one gets appointed."
Prior to the vote, both candidates were interviewed by Wiseman and the Board.
“With two sons in the district, my husband and I are proud supporters and advocates of public education,” Luckett said in her opening statement.
A Starkville native and MSU alumna, Luckett is employed as a project coordinator at the MSU Research and Curriculum Unit.
Luckett and Prince gave similar answers to most questions asked by the Board, but differed in their approach to the district’s current C level, with Prince giving a more aggressive answer.
“For the last 40 plus years, I’ve been a resident of Starkville,” Prince said. “I graduated from Starkville High School. I had two children graduate from Starkville High School, and I have a sixth grader currently attending Armstrong. For the past 30 plus years, I’ve been in a classroom in some form or capacity as a teacher.”
Prince also applied for the school board seat left vacant after the resignation of Anne Weaver-Reese from the board in 2015, losing the seat to Anne Stricklin.
Luckett will replace Jenny Turner on the school board starting March 4, when Turner’s five-year term ends. Luckett will also serve five years.