Amite County and Wilkinson County school superintendents scoffed at a legislator’s proposal to consolidate the two districts, saying the goal of a more streamlined school will backfire.
Earlier this week, Senate Education Committee Chairman Gray Tollison, R-Oxford, suggested that reducing the number of school districts in the state could improve student academic standing and cut excess fat in personnel costs.
There are 151 public school districts in Mississippi.
Tollison said he was following recommendations of a report sprearheaded by former Gov. Haley Barbour that said schools would benefit from consolidation. Tollison has filed seven bills over the last four years in an effort to consolidate schools.
Along with Amite and Wilkinson County, Tollison also wants to merge Carroll County, Winona and Montgomery County districts, as well as Perry County and Richton, Kemper and Noxubee counties, Holmes County and Durant, Claiborne and Jefferson counties, and Leflore County and Greenwood.
Amite County Superintendent Scotty Whittington said there is already too much interference from Jackson. Amite County has approximately 1,200 students on three campuses, which include the high school, elementary school and Vo-Tech.
“I don’t want to join Wilkinson County and I’m sure Wilkinson County doesn’t want to join us,” he said. “The Legislature just wants to take everything away from the local people and run it themselves. When the state takes over anything, they have never proven they can run it better than the locals.”
Whittington touched on a simmering rivalry between the districts that has gone for more than 20 years.
“Amite County and Wilkinson County still don’t like each other,” he said.
Amite County Elementary received a failing grade from the state on its standardized tests last year, while the high school passed.
“We’re working around the clock to pull those grades up at the elementary,” Whittington said. “We have a literacy coach from the state department (of education) and after-school tutors. We’re pulling (special education) students from class and sending them to tutors during the day. We’re doing diagnostic testing to find out who needs the most work.”
Whittington also addressed sub-par buildings. The district is constantly patching roofs and making other repairs.
“We are in the process of renovating buildings as fast as we can,” Whittington said. “I believe it was 1959 when the high school was completed and the elementary was completed a little before that. We’re doing it as fast as we can.”
Whittington said there
