Marion County School District Administrative Office

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

Those who want to run for seats on the Marion County School Board can now qualify for the Nov. 2 election.

Sept. 3 is the last day to qualify for the election which will be for seats in Districts 1 and 2. There will be a special election for District 3 to fill two remaining years of an unexpired term.

Anyone who wants to run for one of the seats must have a petition signed by 50 registered voters in the respective district. Candidates must reside in the district they are running for.

The petitions are available at the Marion County Circuit Clerk’s Office. The terms in District 1 and 2 are for six years, and School Board members are paid $200 a month.

The District 1 seat is currently held by Jackie Broom; District 2 Keith Stuckey; and 3 Samantha Armstrong. Broom, Stuckey and Armstrong were not immediately available for comment to determine if they will they seek re-election.

As of this morning, no one had qualified to run for any of the School District seats.

Marion County School District Finance Director Donna Martin, left, presents the proposed 2010-2011 budget to the Board.

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

Marion County School District officials said Monday night that they hope they can pass a 2010-2011 budget without increasing property taxes.

The Marion County School Board had originally proposed a 4 percent increase in property taxes. School District Finance Director Donna Martin said she is going over the final figures in preparation for the Board voting on the 2010-2011 budget Aug. 9.

The unfortunate news is that even if the School Board does not ask for an increase in property taxes that there will probably still be an increase in the millage rate because the state has put $192,710 back on local taxpayers, Martin said.

School Board President Bernard Nelson said if the budget can still be in the black with no increase in property taxes then he would be in favor of the proposal. Superintendent Ronald Fortenberry said he is also hoping that a tax increase can be avoided.

Bunker Hill resident Aaron Hailey told the Board that he thinks the two local school districts should be combined to save administrative costs.

The School Board held the public hearing on the budget Monday night, with three citizens in attendance. Bunker Hill resident Aaron Hailey suggested to the Board that the Marion County School District and Columbia School District be combined to save money on administrative costs.

Superintendent Fortenberry responded that the local school board does not have the authority to combine districts. “That has to come from someone above us,” said Fortenberry.

Hailey retorted that even if the School Board does not have the power to combine districts, then local officials should be trying to contact those who can make it happen.

“We’ve got to have that kind of leadership,” said Hailey. “Why can’t we be the leaders in the state? The same old, same old won’t work anymore.”

Nelson said he thinks it’s a good idea to combine districts, adding, “I commend you for bringing the idea here tonight.” However, Nelson cautioned that combining districts will take a lot of work.”

The proposed 2010-2011 budget is $24,352,581 and has had numerous challenges including a cut in state funding for the third year in a row. Last year, the state provided the School District with an ad valorem tax reduction grant of $233,000, and this year that has been cut to $40,000. In addition, the interest rate on the School District’s checking account has gone from 4.8 percent to .53 percent, which equates to $400,000 in less revenue.

Moreover, the state has mandated that the District fund over $100,000 in teacher pay raises. The state has also asked that all school districts have 7 percent of their budget in savings. If that 7 percent savings cannot be achieved, the state asks that the local districts submit a plan to the Mississippi Department of Education outlining a plan to reduce costs in the district.

A 7 percent savings for the Marion County School District equates to $1,038,765. Superintendent Fortenberry said there is no way the Marion County School District can reach that level of savings in the upcoming fiscal year. The purpose of the savings is so school districts can be prepared for possible mid-year cuts, said Martin.

To keep the budget in the black, the School District has implemented $2 million worth of cuts through a number of means including layoffs, pay cuts and the elimination of programs.

The Columbia School Board meets about the 2010-2011 budget.

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher 

The Columbia School Board tonight approved the fiscal year 2010-2011 budget with a 2 percent increase in property taxes. 

The Columbia Board of Aldermen will likely have to pass a 2-mill increase to fund the School District’s budget. A 2-mill increase means a homeowner with a home valued at $100,000 will pay an additional $20 per year in property taxes. 

With the 2-mill increase the School District will collect $43,000 more than is needed to balance the budget. School Board member Rene Dungan said it is wise to collect a little extra property tax in case of mid-year budget cuts. Last year the School District experienced $800,000 in state budget cuts in the middle of the year. If the state makes similar cuts this year, “We’re going to be looking at more tough decisions,” said School Board President Marie Shepard. 

Shepard had proposed only increasing property tax collections by .775 percent, which she said would have balanced the budget, but the other Board members were not in favor of that proposal. Shepard voted with the Board for the 2 percent increase so there would be unity on the budget vote. 

Even if the Board would have voted for no increase in property taxes, the millage rate would have probably still gone up because the county’s assessed value decreased this year by $359,000. The lower assessed value means the value of a mill has decreased. 

Mayor Reed Houston attended the meeting tonight and said he is not upset with the School Board for increasing property taxes. In fact, the mayor said he appreciated the Board not passing a 4 percent increase, which could have been done. The Board of Aldermen is required to set the millage rate at a level that will bring in the property taxes requested by the School Board. 

Dungan said she would have preferred no tax increase but said, “We need to provide the programs and also anticipate mid-year cuts.” She added that the “net affect on the homeowner will be minimal.” 

The School District has dealt with state budget cuts by laying off 26 assistant teachers and cutting programs. The School District’s total budget for fiscal year 2010-2011 is $18,884,346, which is $1,267,176 less than last year.

The state requires that 7 percent of the District’s $8.8 million operation budget be held in reserve. The District currently has $706,000 in reserves, which is $90,000 more than is required.

Shepard criticized the state government for passing so much of the tax burden onto local governments. The state “hasn’t done what it needed in the past to make sure this didn’t happen,” Shepard added. There are millions of dollars in 16^th section land funds that the state will not allow the School District to access, she said.

Some citizens have criticized the School Board for raising taxes while spending money building a new field house at Columbia High School. But Shepard countered that the funds used to build the field house could only be spent on construction. 

Other School Board members to vote in favor of the 2 percent increase were Dr. Ron Luethje and Vernon Curtis. Member Charles Boston was absent.

Columbia School District Business Manager Kim Rogers presents the proposed 2010-2011 budget during a public hearing last week.

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

It remains unclear whether the Columbia School District’s 2010-2011 budget will require a tax increase.

The Board will vote on the new budget July 8 at 5:30 p.m. in School District office on Bryan Avenue.

In May, the School Board voted 3-2 to increase property tax collections by 4 percent for fiscal year 2010-2011, which begins July 1. Board President Marie Shepard and member Rene Dungan opposed the increase.

Until the new assessed values are made available by the Tax Assessor’s Office next week, it is unclear how much the millage rate might have to be raised to fund the property tax increase.

Preliminary estimates show that a 4 percent increase would require raising the millage rate by 3.9 mills. A 3.9-mill increase would equate to an additional $39 per year for a taxpayer with a home valued at $100,000.

School Board President Shepard said she would oppose a 3.9-mill increase, saying, “I think it’s asking too much of people now with the way the economy is.” The taxpayers expect the School Board to “tighten our belts and make do with what we’ve got,” Shepard added.

Dungan does not know whether she would support a 3.9-mill increase, saying she would need to examine the figures. If the millage was not increased, it would mean more cuts being made in the District, and there have already been plenty.

The millage rate is set by the Columbia Board of Aldermen, not the School Board. But the Board of Aldermen is required to levy the taxes requested by the School Board if the increase is 4 percent or less.

The School District has had to deal with state budget cuts by laying off 26 assistant teachers, reducing two nurse positions, eliminating several programs, cutting pay for certified employees, and doing away with four teacher positions. The state budget cuts have shifted much of the burden onto local taxpayers to foot the bill for the School District.

The new budget will total $18,884,346, which is $1,267,176 less than the current fiscal year. Dungan noted that the School Board has to leave breathing room in its budget in case the state makes more cuts mid year. Last year, the state cut the local District $800,000 in the middle of the year.

Other School Board members Vernon Curtis, Dr. Ronald Luethje and Charles Boston were not immediately available for comment.

A public hearing on the Columbia School District budget was held last week, but no one from the public made a comment.

Marion County Schools Superintendent Ronald Fortenberry

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

It appears the Marion County School Board violated the state Open Meetings Act by not posting public notice of a meeting held Monday night.

Marion County Schools Superintendent Ronald Fortenberry admitted that there was apparently no notice of the meeting posted. Forteneberry agreed that not posting a notice of the meeting would constitute a violation of the state Open Meetings Act.

Typically, public notices of meetings are posted in a glass casing at the entrance to the School District Office, said Fortenberry. However, there was not a notice posted in that location Monday afternoon when the Marion County Informer went to the School District Office around 4 p.m. There was also not a notice posted in the location while the meeting was in session.

Marion County School District Office

The School Board was not trying to be secretive by failing to post notice of the meeting, said Fortenberry. The Marion County Informer attended the meeting after becoming aware of it through an anonymous tip. No other members of the public or news media were in attendance at the meeting that started at 6 p.m.

Fortenberry said he never saw a notice of the meeting posted, noting that his secretary takes care of those matters. He said he will check with his office staff to see if there was ever a notice of the meeting posted. He said it is possible that a notice of the meeting was posted and then taken down at some point.

If there was no public notice of the meeting posted, Fortenberry said he will ensure that it does not happen again. The School District would not have intentionally violated the Open Meetings Act, Fortneberry added. If there was not a notice posted it was an accidental “omission,” the superintendent added.

Fortenberry said he will take full responsibility if there was not a notice of the meeting posted. “It really falls back to my responsibility,” he said. “It’s my fault. I’ll just have to take the heat from it.”

School Board member Wayne Regan told the Informer that notices are typically posted outside the School District office, but he is not sure if a notice was posted for Monday’s meeting. Regan told the Informer to take the matter up with Fortenberry.

All members of the School Board were present at the meeting including Regan, Samantha Armstrong, Bernard Nelson, Jackie Broom and Keith Stuckey. School District Business Manager Donna Martin was also present.

The Open Meetings Act requires that the place, date, hour and subject matter of meetings be posted within one hour of the meeting being called. The notice must be posted in a prominent location in the building where the board meets, and a copy of the notice should be made part of the minutes, the law states.

In cases in which the Open Meetings Act appears to have been violated, a complaint can be filed with the Mississippi Ethics Commission. If the Commission finds that the law was knowingly violated, a civil penalty not to exceed $100 may be imposed on the board.

Monday’s meeting was a recessed meeting from last week and was held to “close out the year” in preparation for the new fiscal year starting July 1, said Fortenberry.

In the meeting, the School Board voted to rehire dozens of School District employees for the upcoming year. The board also approved the second payment of $40,389 for the remodel of the alternative school building; approved an agreement with Pine Belt Mental Healthcare Resources to provide mental health services to students for the 2010-2011 year; approved payment No. 10 in the amount of $13,104 to McInnis Electric for a contractor job; approved the third payment of $13,104 to T.L. Wallace Construction Inc. for intercom upgrades to East Marion; approved the third payment of $13,354 to T.L. Wallace Construction for intercom upgrades at West Marion; and approved out-of-state travel to Houston, Texas  for East Marion Assistant Principal Joel Germany for training.

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

The Marion County School District has made more employee cuts due to a reduction in state funding.

Four janitors were notified last week that they have been laid off, and school nurses were cut from 187 days to 180 days a year.

These cuts come after several other budget reduction measures that were covered in a previous Marion County Informer Story that you can read by clicking this link: http://bit.ly/aCB9HE

The Marion County School Board has not yet set a public hearing date on its 2010-2011 budget. The Marion County School District is likely to have a millage increase due to state funding cuts that have put more of a burden on local taxpayers to foot the bill. For instance, there has been a reduction in state funding that offsets local property taxes. The state gave the District a $211,220 ad valorem tax reduction grant this fiscal year, and that is expected to only be $40,619 in the upcoming budget year, which begins July 1.

Tonight the Marion County School Board is expected to vote on whether to ask for an increase in property taxes in 2010-2011. The Board can ask for an increase of up to 4 percent without any petition or referendum. The meeting will be held at the District office on Highway 13 North at 6 p.m.

The School District’s budget is expected to be about $2 million less in fiscal year 2010-2011 compared to the current fiscal year. A breakdown of the $2 million in proposed budget cuts were covered in a previous Marion County Informer story that can be read by clicking this link: http://bit.ly/dw1bKj. The new fiscal year will already be in effect when the School Board holds its public hearing on the 2010-2011 budget, which will be enacted retroactively.

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

It is uncertain whether the Columbia School District will increase the millage rate for fiscal year 2010-2011, which begins July 1.

A public hearing on the School District’s 2010-2011 budget will be held Thursday at 5 p.m. at the CSD office on Bryan Avenue. School District Business Manager Kim Rogers said until her office receives new property values and new assessed values from the Tax Assessor’s Office it will be unclear whether there will be a millage increase. Rogers said she hopes to have those figures from the Tax Assessor shortly after July 1.

The Columbia School Board is scheduled to vote on the 2010-2011 budget in its July 8 meeting. Rogers noted that the overall budget for 2010-2011 is expected to be about $1 million to $1.2 million less than the current fiscal year.

Even though the overall budget will be less, a millage increased may still be required because of a reduction in state funding that offsets local property taxes. The state granted the School District a $171,000 ad valorem tax reduction grant this fiscal year, and that is expected to be cut to $30,000 for fiscal year 2010-2011.

Other state funding has been cut as well including special education funds, which were $1.36 million this fiscal year and will be $1.24 million in the upcoming year. In the new fiscal year, the School District is expected to have an operating budget of $12 million with about $3.5 million coming from property taxes. The School District currently assesses a total of 65.25 mills.

The Marion County School Board tonight hired a new East Marion High School football coach and a new West Marion Primary principal.

Anthony Dillon, who was the assistant football coach, is the new head coach, replacing Randy Roberts who resigned from the position.

Heather Singley, who was a reading specialist and assistant West Marion Primary principal, is the new principal replacing Tammy Fairburn who resigned.

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

The Marion County School District is reducing its budget by approximately $2 million for the upcoming fiscal year because of state budget cuts.

“We’re taking major cuts for a rural school district with no industry,” Marion County School District Business Manager Donna Martin told the Informer this morning.

The School District will receive less money from the state in the upcoming fiscal year, which begins July 1, than it did this year, Martin said. After $1 million in cuts, the School District received $12,061,315 from the state this year. For fiscal year 2010-2011, the School District is expected to receive $12,057,930 from the state.   

Cutting the local supplement for teachers and reducing the number of days that administrators and other employees work will save the District approximately $215,000. Those cuts were covered in a Marion County Informer story on Thursday. To read it, click here: http://bit.ly/aCB9HE

Approximately another $1 million in cuts will be made to the District’s budget by eliminating the driver’s education program, doing away with two certified elementary PE teachers, not replacing six teachers who are resigning or retiring and reconfiguring East Marion so there is no longer a Primary School, thereby eliminating a principal position. An accounts payable/purchasing agent and child nutrition bookkeeper are retiring from the District office. A clerical worker from West Marion Primary will replace the accounts payable/purchasing agent while the child nutrition bookkeeper position will be left vacant. The District is also saving money by reducing the number of bus routes by about 10, which will save money on fuel, maintenance and bus driver pay. Martin said the District purchased software that showed fewer buses were necessary to transport children to and from school.

The District is also saving $176,000 by having four high school teachers’ salaries paid for with federal Title I funds. Terminating two teachers, one at West Marion High School and another at East Marion High School, will save $90,000. School budgets for supplies and textbooks have been reduced by $50,000. And a supplemental athletic/activities insurance policy has been dropped, saving the District $42,000.

There is approximately another $300,000 in budget cuts anticipated, but Martin would not reveal what they are because the School Board has not approved them.

In the upcoming fiscal year the School District also must fund state-mandated teacher pay raises, which will total about $98,000. The School District is also losing about $400,000 a year in local funding because the interest rate on the District’s checking account plummeted from 4.8 percent to .53 percent due to the recession.

The Marion County School District is reducing employee pay to deal with state budget cuts.

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

The Marion County School Board in a special Tuesday meeting approved pay reductions for teachers, administrators and other employees because of state budget cuts.

Under the measure, the local supplement that teachers receive will be cut in half in fiscal year 2010-2011, which begins July 1. Teachers receive a local supplement of between $1,000 and $1,200 a year based on their certification level.

Despite the cuts, the teachers will make around the same as they did this year because their annual state pay raise will basically cover what they lose. In fact, after the raises are factored in some teachers will actually make a little more than they did this year, Superintendent Ronald Fortenberry noted.

Marion County Schools Superintendent Ronald Fortenberry

Certified personnel who work 200 days or more, including administrators, counselors and Votec teachers, will also take a cut in pay but in a different manner than the teachers. Those employees, including Fortenberry, will be paid for five less days next year.

All non-certified employees who work at least 200 days a year, such as clerical and janitorial staff, will also be paid for five fewer days next year. Teacher assistants will be paid for 180 days next year whereas they were paid for 187 this year, Fortenberry added.

Two teachers who did not teach academic subjects were terminated because of the state budget cuts, Fortenberry said. One of those teachers was from West Marion High School and the other from East Marion High School, said Fortenberry. He would not say what subjects they taught or elaborate any further on those employees, saying he could not discuss personnel matters in public. Some teachers who are resigning or retiring will not be replaced, but Fortenberry did not know how many.

The total amount of state budget cuts that the Marion County School District will have to endure for 2010-2011 is unclear. It is also unclear how much the Marion County School Board’s decision to cut employee pay will save the District.

A reception honoring Columbia School District employees who are retiring was held this afternoon at Columbia Elementary School. Retiring employees honored at the event were Columbia Elementary School teacher Renee Riley, 26 years; Columbia Primary School gifted teacher Gus Maily, 31 years; Jefferson Middle School special education teacher Sherry Buckley, 28 years; Columbia High School English teacher Dyan Martin, 29 years; and Columbia Elementary cafeteria worker Willie Mae Cowart, 39 years.

Retiring CSD employees from left are Renee Riley, Dyan Martin, Gus Maily, Sherry Buckley, and Willie Mae Cowart.

Attendees sign cards wishing the retiring employees the best.

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

Valedictorians and salutatorians have been named at East Marion High School, West Marion, Columbia High and Columbia Academy. Below are brief write-ups on each student.

 Columbia Academy Valedictorian Robert Williamson

Robert Williamson

Robert Williamson is the Columbia Academy valedictorian, and he plans to attend the Honors College at the University of Southern Mississippi. He does not yet know what major he will pursue, saying if he picks one now he will just change it later. In his address to the graduating class, Williamson quoted a Winston Churchill speech about never giving up. There will be tough times in life, but if people put their hearts and souls into what they do, they will come out OK in the end, said Williamson. Williamson served as senior president of the Key Club,  and was a member of DECA, the Quiz Bowl team, the National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta and the Beta Club.

 CA Salutatorian Blythe Dunaway

Blythe Dunaway is the CA salutatorian, and she also plans to attend USM to study business administration with an emphasis in marketing. She hopes to have her own business one day and possibly go into law She said her parents have always backed her up in life. Roxanne Wallace, her adviser in DECA, is another one of her inspirations because she pushed her to succeed. Dunaway served as CA student body president, and was a state officer

Blythe Dunaway

for DECA, member of the Key Club, Mu Alpha Theta, the National Honor Society, the Crown Club, and Dusty Club. She also started a group called TARS, which stands for Teen Age Republicans.

Seth Norris

Columbia High School Valedictorian Seth Norris

The Columbia High School valediction is Seth Norris, who plans to attend Yale and study political science and Chinese and later go to law school with the hopes of working in international law. Norris said his father is an inspiration to him because he has a hard work ethic and puts family first. At Columbia High, Norris was involved with the tennis team, band and student government. 

 Columbia High School Salutatorian Catherine Geiger

Catherine Geiger

Catherine Geiger is the Columbia High School salutatorian and plans to attend the Honors College at USM and major in anthropology. She hopes to travel the world and study ancient cultures and write about the things she encounters.  Geiger said her second grade teacher, Eloise Alford, has inspired her through the years. Geiger said people should never give up and always try their best. Geiger was the senior class president and president of Mu Alpha Theta as well as a member of Beta Club, National Honor Society, Student Council, Jazz Band, Band, Crown Club, Math and Science Team, Student Health Council and Art Club. 

Erika M. Lowe

East Marion High School Valedictorian Erika M. Lowe 

East Marion High School Valedictorian Erika M. Lowe plans to attend Mississippi State University to major in biological sciences in hopes of becoming a physical therapist. She decided she wanted to be a physical therapist from living with her grandparents who have received home health services. Erika said her motto to the senior class is “do and dare.” “Go out and do what you need to do and dare to do what others are scared to do,” she said.  She said her father has been her inspiration in life because he was a single parent who raised her and her sister. In the black culture, there is a stereotype that the father figure is not around, but that was not the case with her dad, she said. Lowe was Miss East Marion and a member of First Priority, Science Honor Society, National Honor Society, Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, Health Occupations Students of America, Choir and the Dancing Jewels.

Angelica Barnes

East Marion High Salutatorian Angelica Barnes

East Marion Salutatorian Angelica Barnes plans to attend Jones Junior College to be a nurse. “I like to help people in need,” said Barnes. Barnes said her mom has been an inspiration to her because she is a “hard working woman.” Barnes was a member of First Priority, Beta Club, National Honor Society, Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, and was Senior Class president. She was also voted by her senior class as most likely to succeed, friendliest, and class favorite.

West Marion Valedictorian Ethan Whaley

Ethan Whaley and Summer Hill

West Marion High school Valedictorian Ethan Whaley plans to attend Pearl River Community College and then MSU with the goal of becoming an electrical engineer. Whaley says his parents have been his inspiration because they have “always told me I was doing a good job even when I wasn’t.” He added that his church youth minister has also been a positive influence in his life by keeping him on the “right path.” At West Marion High, Whaley was on the baseball and basketball teams and was a member of the National Honor Society and Beta Club.

West Marion High School Salutatorian Summer Hill

West Marion High School Salutatorian Summer Hill plans to attend William Carey University to major in nursing and minor in Spanish. She hopes to be an anesthetist, which is a nurse that assists with anesthesiology. Hill said her mother has been the inspiration in her life because she pushed her when she doubted herself.  “She’s my motivation,” Hill said.  As for words of wisdom she would offer her peers, Hill said, “Know who you are and be true to yourself.” Hill was a member of the band, National Honor Society, Beta Club, Student Council and Front Line, which is a group that discourages the use of drugs, alcohol and tobacco.

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

Tammy Fairburn - West Marion Primary principal

The Marion County School Board last night voted 4-1 to accept the resignation of West Marion Primary Principal Tammy Fairburn.

Marion County School District Superintendent Ronald Fortenberry would not comment on the reason for the resignation and also refused to say if it was forced or voluntary. The Informer attempted to contact Fairburn at her school twice today but was unsuccessful.

Fortenberry would not comment specifically on Fairburn’s job performance except to say, “Everybody has positives and negatives.” He said she has been principal of West Marion Primary for two years. “All I can tell you is she resigned, and the board approved it,” Fortenberry added.

School Board member Wayne Regan opposed accepting Fairburn’s resignation while board members Samantha Armstrong, Jackie Broom, Bernard Nelson and Keith Stuckey voted in favor.

Fortenberry said the School District will be accepting applications for a new West Marion Primary principal, and a panel of teachers and administrators will be appointed to screen applicants.

CSD Superintendent Dr. Marietta James

By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher

All teachers and other certified personnel in the Columbia School District will experience a pay decrease of at least $500 in the upcoming fiscal year to deal with state budget cuts.

The measure, which will save the School District $93,337 a year, was approved by the School Board last Thursday.

All teachers will take a $500 cut, and other personnel could have larger cuts based proportionately on the number of days per year they work. The teachers’ cuts are based on working 187 days a year. The pay cut can be spread out over a year’s period, which means a $500 cut equates to a little more than $40 a month.

Superintendent Dr. Marietta James said all administrators in the School District, including herself, will receive a higher pay cut than the teachers. However, she does not know the specific amount of the pay cut the administrators will receive.

The pay cuts only affect certified personnel in the School District such as teachers and administrators. Non-certified postions include bus drivers and cafeteria workers.

The pay cuts come after the School District has already laid off 25 assistant teachers and two nurses because of state budget cuts.  James said she does not anticipate any more cuts. The School District was considering furloughing teachers, but the pay cuts should make furloughs unnecessary, said James.