Here is the article from today's Minden Press Herald about the revote last night. You can find it online at http://www.nwlanews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=23470&Itemid=1.
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School Board denies revote
Written by Jeri Bloxom
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
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Parents and community members spoke to the Webster Parish School Board (WPSB) last night, urging them to reconsider the school assignments for the towns of Sarepta, Shongaloo, Cotton Valley and Springhill.
However, the WPSB did not yield, voting eight to four to ignore their request.
“Springhill Junior and Senior High School can no longer claim a safe environment that it once could,” said Nellie Sherrill, a community member who is concerned about the safety of students transferring to Springhill from Sarepta, Shongaloo and Cotton Valley.
Sherrill cited reasons such as rampant fighting in restrooms and classrooms, vulgar language and disrespect to teachers and peers, and “students bringing cameras into restrooms while forcing other students to do things that are despicable and humiliating and then publishing the acts on You Tube.”
“When people with inside information tell you that you don’t want your children or grandchildren to go to Springhill High, it gets my attention and I know it would get yours, too,” she said.
Responding to Sherrill’s disturbing comments about the condition of safety and discipline at the Springhill Jr/Sr High, board member Jerry Lott, District 11, said he would like to see a thorough investigation by a committee, with support of central office personnel, done within the next 30 days so the issues could be formally addressed.
Jackie Lewis, who headed the petition asking board members to revote the consolidation of north Webster Parish, urged board members to give the same courtesy to the north end of the parish as they gave to the Minden communities.
“As a parent of a child in Minden schools, I was given a voice when asked to choose between two options for the schools in Minden,” she said. “As a parent of a child in Sarepta, I waited for a similar letter to come, but it never arrived.”
Lewis said the mileage students in the north would be bused with the adopted plan would be similar to Minden students being bused to Doyline.
“You wouldn’t vote to do that, it doesn’t make any sense,” she said. “So why do it to the communities of Sarepta, Shonagloo and Cotton Valley?”
Don Shirley, Minister of First Baptist Church in Cotton Valley who wrote to the school board and the district attorney regarding legalities of action taken by the board, also spoke.
“I apologize to you as a board for jumping to conclusions about the manner in which you are governed,” he said. “I was wrong to think that many of the policies you created were for me or any other citizen to hold you to account. They are for you to hold yourselves to account and for you to conduct your own business.”
After hearing the request of speakers, it was explained to the board by their attorney that they would be voting on revisiting the decision made for the north end of the parish alone and that if the vote did pass, action could only be taken on the schools of Springhill, Cotton Valley, Shongaloo and Sarepta.
WPSB superintendent W.W. “Butch” Williams told board members that financially the savings would be “a wash.” The adopted plan for the north end of the parish saved roughly the same amount of money as the central office proposal for the area.
In the end, the WPSB voted eight to four in favor of maintaining their previous action to have Springhill be the singular high school for the four communities.
Voting in favor to reconsider previous action:
Ouida Gardner – District 5
Bruce Williams – District 4
Charles Strong – District 3
Robert Holloway – District 6
Voting to uphold previous action:
Linda Kinsey – District 7
Frankie Mitchell – Distsrict 9
Ronnie Broughton – District 8
Penny Long – District 12
Johnnye Kennon – District 10
Malachi Ridgel – District 2
Jerry Lott – District 11
Brandon Edens – District 1.
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