The Lamar County School Board had a relatively quiet and brief meeting Monday night after celebrating the district’s A rating earlier in the day with Mississippi Dept. of Education Superintendent Cary Wright. This is the second year in a row the district has been recognized during Wright’s Excellence Tour.
LCSD Supt. Tess Smith had the district’s award proudly displayed at the center of the proceedings and mentioned the celebration during her Superintendent’s report to board members.
The board also heard from Kevin Harless, 16th Section Land manager, and Board Attorney Rick Norton in regard to nine easements along Lincoln and Hegwood roads the board has approved for the Lamar County Board of Supervisors for the addition of a turning lane.
Although the 16th Section land is leased out to individuals or businesses, the school district could approve the easements without the lessee’s approval.
Norton said the county would be talking to the lessees about the property they would be losing. He explained that in the past when the district granted right of way, traditionally the district has reduced the lease by one percent and the least payment by one percent.
“Most of the lessees are business people,” Norton said of places like Arnold Line Water, Optimist Park, Dennis Pierce, the SnoBall stand and others.
The board also canceled the 16th Section Lease, No. 902, of Ricky and Rebecca Dear for nonpayment of lease and taxes.
Smith noted that the district has 12 new National Board Certified teachers.
In other business the board:
• Approved the purchase of baseball uniforms for Sumrall High School at a cost of $12,457 from Rex Team Sports, to be paid from school activity funds; alternate quote from Boudreaux at $15,131;
• Approved the purchase of 65 football jerseys for Purvis High School at a cost of $6,596.75, also from Rex Team Sports, to be paid from school activity funds; alternate quote from Boudreaux Athletics at $,250;
• Approved the purchase of 340 Chromebooks with licenses and six charging carts for Oak Grove Middle School, Purvis Middle School, Oak Grove Lower Elementary, Lumberton, Lamar County Center for Technical Education and Longleaf Elementary at a cost of $82,432.65 from a variety of vendors with costs to be paid by OGMS PTO donations, textbook funds, school activity funds, Title I and Title IV funds, Carl Perkins funds, Longleaf Elementary PTO donation.
• Approved 144 caps/gowns/tassels/stoles for Sumrall High School at a cost of $6,192 from Balfour, to be paid from school activity funds; alternate quote from Jostens, $6,480.
Accepted the following donations:
• To Baxterville, $1,000 cash donation from William and Peggy Dobbs; to be used for new electronic school sign;
• To OGMS, $14,983.96 cash donation from OGMS PTO, to be used to purchase chromebooks, licenses, Lightspeed relay and charging carts;
• To OGMS, $454 cash donation from OGMS PTO, to be used for OGMS cheerleaders;
• To OGMS, $1,000 cash donation from Kohler Company; to be used for STEM Club;
• To Sumrall High School, $917 cash donation from Sumrall High Band Boosters; to be used for general needs of the band;
• To Sumrall Elementary, $364 cash donation from Excel Parent Group; to be used to purchase Chromebook for Excel class;
• To Oak Grove Lower Elementary, $1,658 cash donation from OGLE PTO; to be used to purchase a fence.
Sumrall Elementary science fair students were recognized and received a certificate from Supt. Smith for their outstanding work in a variety of categories – from organic chemistry to astronomy.
The next meeting of the school board will be at 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 14, 2019, at the LCSD Boardroom in Purvis.
