Parents plan to sue school district over uniforms

Received this last night:

A group of concerned parents and citizens of Starkville are challenging a recent decision by the Starkville School Board to require mandatory uniforms for all students. Parents, students, community members, and other Starkville School District stakeholders who disagree with the School Board’s decision are welcome to participate in this legal challenge.

Lawyers will be in Starkville to obtain names and signatures for affidavits of anyone interested in joining the appeal (the appeal documents will be at the meeting for your review and questions). Each person will sign separately, not as a family. Parents must sign for minors under 16. This is your ONLY chance to be part of this case. If a family can afford to help with lawyer costs, donations of $50 per family are welcomed, but NOT required.

Thursday, March 11, 2010
Starkville Parks & Rec Sportsplex, Conference Room
6:00 – 8:00 pm

This meeting will be come and go; there is no requirement to stay the full two hours or to arrive at any certain time. There is no commitment level beyond your signature stating that you agree with the legal challenge.

This is the only chance for YOU to be a part of this case. State law mandates that as a community we have 10 days to file an appeal of the School Board’s decision. The complaint will be filed in the Oktibbeha Circuit Court on Friday, March 12. After that date no additional parties can be accepted.

Support our students, families and community by coming to the Sportsplex on Thursday night!

Coulmbus #7 according to Site Selection

From NEMS360:

Columbus in U.S.’ top 10 micropolitans
by carlie.kollath

Via Twitter from Dennis:

Columbus (Miss.) tied for seventh as Top U.S. Micropolitan New & Expanded Facilities 2009, via Site Selection Magazine.

Tupelo tied for 12th.

Read the full story on Site Selection Magazine’s site. Excerpts from the press release:

• For metro areas with populations over 1 million, the Top 10 Metros for new and expanded corporate facilities for 2009, in order, were New York-Newark-Edison, N.Y./N.J./Pa.; Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, Ill./Ind./Wis.; Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas; Detroit-Warren-Livonia, Mich.; Houston-Baytown-Sugar Land, Texas; Cincinnati-Middletown, Ohio/Ky./Ind.; Pittsburgh, Pa.; Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Pa./N.J./Del.; Memphis, Tenn./Miss./Ark.; and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C./Va. and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, Va. (tied for tenth).

• In the magazine’s ranking of Top Micropolitans — cities of 10,000 to 50,000 people which cover at least one county — Statesville-Mooresville, N.C., claimed the top prize among the nation’s 576 micropolitan areas, followed by Wooster, Ohio, and Pottsville, Pa. (tied for second); Daphne-Fairhope, Ala., and Lincolnton, N.C. (tied for fourth).

• The list:

Top U.S. Micropolitans New andExpanded Facilities in 20091. Statesville-Mooresville, N.C. (20 projects)T2. Wooster, Ohio (13)T2. Pottsville, Pa. (13)T4. Daphne-Fairhope, Ala. (10)T4. Lincolnton, N.C. (10)6. Ashtabula, Ohio (9)T7. Adrian, Mich. (7)T7. Columbus, Miss. (7)T7. Batavia, N.Y. (7)T10. Cullman, Ala. (6)T10. Findlay, Ohio (6)

Updated: Cadence lays off

WTVA reported last night that Cadence has laid off an unspecified number of employees.

Rumor has been that it was 25 or so people affected.

UPDATE: The Dispatch is reporting 9 people will be affected.

Uniforms pass

The Starkville School board voted 5-0 to pass the amended dress code that requires uniforms.

Uniforms- contrast by district

FWIW, the Oktibehha County School District is considering allowing students the ability to not wear uniforms on Fridays if they score high enough on tests as a reward.

From the Dispatch:

The board said the proposed incentive plan would allow students who score as proficient on the state tests in the spring to wear non-uniform but appropriate school clothes every other Friday during the coming school year. Those who score advanced on the state tests would be allowed out of uniform every Friday.

“If telling a kid you can wear whatever you want within reason if you score proficient or beyond — and we’re all about test scores — if that gets them to do it, then I have no problem with it,” Superintendent James Covington said.

He suggested the incentive could be tried for a time to see if it works.

“That alone is not going to do it,” Covington said, explaining that this incentive would not improve test scores but reward performance. “Give it a shot. If it doesn’t work or gets out of hand, we know how to get it back.”

At one point in the discussion, he also commented on the status of uniform use in the district.

“They’re not in uniform now,” Covington said of students.

He said while navy blue pants are a fairly standard color, there is wide range in the colors that can be considered khaki. Also, many shirts that started off white when school began started to turn yellow after being worn by kids.

One district sees uniforms as a quasi-punishment. The Starkville District sees it a completely different way.

Interesting.

Mississippi Report Card for Starkville Schools

Want to see how Starkville schools stack up against the rest of the state?

MSreportCard.com

It includes a variety of demoographic and academic data. The drop-out rate quoted (26%) is from 2004-05 9th graders (would-be class of 2008).

FWIW, the drop-out rate for Oktibbeha schools was 19.7% for 2004-05 9th graders (would-be class of 2008).

MSU streamline plans: What say you?

Lots to read in the SCEI report released by MSU a few days ago. (PDF of the report available here.)

What are your thoughts? SOme things seem like common sense. Some- like a few of the degree program cutbacks- seem a little over the top.

Too little, too late? Just enough?

Aldermen punt on school board

BOA punted tonight on school board appointment. They cited a 1981 AG opinion that limits SSD board membership to two members who reside outside of the city but within the school district. Current members Bill Weeks and Keith Coble both reside outside the city limits.

There are several applicants who also live outside the city limits and would not be considered under the ‘81 AG opinion.

The BOA have requested a clarification in light of two later opinions that are on file that confuse the issue.

More info tomorrow.

Good news: $751 million contract for Navistar

From: Dispatch Staff Report
February 17, 2010 4:02:00 PM

In a huge economic shot in the arm for West Point, the city’s near-idle Navistar plant has been awarded a $751.5 million contract to build more than 1,000 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles for the U.S. Marine Corps.

U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss., today reported that the firm-fixed-price contract was awarded by the Marine Corps to Illinois-based Navistar Defense LLC for more than 1,000 Category I MRAP vehicles. The contract was competitively procured.

“The MRAP vehicles to be built at West Point will continue to support the strengthened U.S. military surge in Afghanistan,” Cochran, ranking Republican on the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, said in a release. “MRAPs have saved hundreds of our troops from roadside bombs, and I am proud that a significant number of them have been built in Mississippi.”

“I am also pleased that our strong West Point workforce will be part of providing the Marine Corps with these life-saving vehicles,” he said.

Full article here.

School Uniforms = Unfunded Mandate

Almost every level of government resents being told from someone up the food chain that they have to do something, but pay for it out of their own pocket. Unfunded mandates can be particularly troublesome at the local level, especially for school districts that have to struggle with less money and more regulations.

Now the school board can see how it feels to be on the giving end by enacting an unfunded mandate with school uniforms.

Requiring uniforms to combat safety is along the lines of needing a new transmission for your car but fixing the problem by getting it repainted.

They are better ways to address the issue. Fences, cameras, more security personnel- all would be more effective than making kids dress alike.

We need better test scores and higher student retention for graduation instead of fretting about collars and khakis. That is what the school board should be concerned with.

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