You can now add the School Board to the list of environmentalists. And it’s coming at a price. That’s $910.50 to be exact. Tuesday at the committee meeting, Finance Supervisor Richard Foshee told the board it must refund that amount to the forestry company that harvested school board timber recently.
It seems there was an eagle’s nest on the property and all kinds of regulations prohibit cutting timber within several hundred feet of the nest. The nest was discovered on drone footage and is still intact.
Lakeview High football fans will be glad to know the improvements funded by the bond issue will include sodding of the football field as opposed to “sprigging.” Obviously, “sprigging” won’t allow enough time for the grass to grow in time for football season so the sodding will ensure that the games go on.
On a disturbing note, the board is expected to vote today to close the school at Cloutierville. There will probably be enough votes to do so. Supt. Dale Skinner says is a cost-cutting measure that will result in a savings of $1.4 million. Personnel and staff will be merged into other schools.
The Natchez students who attend Provencal who were scheduled to go to Cloutierville but will now remain at Provencal. City students who have been going to Cloutierville will still return to City schools.
JT has to agree with board member Stephen Harris who said the changes are confusing. They seem to change from month-to-month. Board member Emile Metoyer, who represents the Cloutierville area, feels Skinner has “gutted” Cloutierville and questions why there haven’t been cuts to athletic programs as well as those to Cloutierville.
JT is not questioning nor approving the action, just saying he understands the emotional factor involved in closing a community’s school, no matter the reasons.
It’s just another symptom of what’s wrong with the economic status of the State that keeps passing on unfunded mandates to the local boards that are forced to make such decisions as the one about closing Cloutierville schools.