Dr. Cederick Ellis was not at the McComb school board’s work session Tuesday evening, marking the third week that the superintendent has not been in the administration building.
The board has not discussed Ellis’ absence, but various reports say trustees suspended him for failure to inform trustees about trouble that occurred in June, when McComb coaches took about 30 athletes to Florida, where they attended at least two college football camps.
Assistant superintendent Louise Sanders sat in Ellis’ usual place Tuesday, next to board chairman Evelle Thomas-Dillon. Sanders went through the items on the agenda for next week’s meeting, and the board also heard from Shanna Barrett of the Mississippi Tobacco-Free Coalition of Pike, Amite and Wilkinson counties.
Barrett spoke to the board about the rapid increase in vaping and other forms of non-cigarette nicotine use among children as young as middle school. She said companies keep coming up with new products designed to appeal to underage buyers.
She said she would like to give a presentation about the issue to school district staffers and students at no charge.
