LIBERTY — Amite County school board trustees last week granted permission for students looking to transfer outside of the district, ending uncertainty for some who wanted to go to North Pike because of the distance from their house to the schools.
At a special meeting earlier in the month, board attorney Nate Armistad announced after an executive session the board had decided to grant student releases.
On Thursday, the board approved all requests in consecutive unanimous votes as parents lined up before them.
Nearly all of the transfer requests fell under a blanket “special circumstances” category. That allows a student to attend another school district if they have medical needs that can be better suited at another district, if a parent works outside the district or if a student lives within 30 miles of another school but more than 30 miles from their current school.
Students cannot attend a school that is more than 30 miles from their home, although that definition is somewhat unclear because the mileage is measured by the bus route, not the distance from the student’s home the school, Superintendent Scotty Whittington said.
This was an issue for one parent who requested her child attend North Pike but who is geographically closer to the McComb School District.
“Our understanding is we granted you a release, but my understanding is that if you are under the 30-mile rule, you’ll have to attend McComb,” Armistad told one of the parents.
School districts receive per-pupil state funding, but trustee James Copeland said the number of students transferring out of district matched roughly the number of students transferred in.
“It pretty much comes out to be a wash,” he said.
In another matter, Whittington gave an update on several building projects.
Workers have ben removing asbestos from both the high school and elementary school this summer.
Pickering Environmental Consultants of Jackson conducted air monitoring tests that show the air is safe, Whittington said.
Roofing repairs have been ongoing and have nearly come to an end as students fill school hallways.
Workers have finished repairs to the auditorium roof but are still working on the gymnasium and the metal roof on the south end of the high school, where there are leaks. Whittington has cordoned off that section of the school as workers put a final sealing on the roof.
In other business, trustees:
• Voted in executive session to allow a student who was expelled last year to come back to school.
• Hired Jarrod Thaxton as a biology teacher for the high school.
• Noted a storm on July 25 damaged the high school and career center buildings. Lightning hit the concession stand transformer, knocking out power to the scoreboard and press box. Phone lines were disrupted and security cameras were knocked down. Repairs have since been made, Whittington said.
• Approved n agreement with Southwest Mississippi Mental Health to periodically to monitor to some students who might be in need of the agency’s services.
