[1/30/04]At least one Vicksburg resident says the community schools plan proposed by Superintendent James Price will be too expensive for taxpayers and result in segregated elementaries.

John Shorter, 103 Starlight Drive, told members of the Vicksburg Warren School District Board of Trustees Thursday he thinks people will oppose the plan that Price and nearly 90 percent of teachers who voiced and opinion support.

The change would abandon most of the choice-based student assignments started five years ago and return to individual attendance zones for K-6 schools.

Price has completed presenting the idea to individual schools and says citizen opinions will be sought for the next three weeks.

“(We) feel that you have insulted our intelligence with phrases like neighborhood schools,” said Shorter, who also frequently speaks at city board meetings. “The schools are in neighborhoods now.”

Shorter said the district cannot expect taxpayers to approve of a plan to build a new school and reopen another after school officials spent $32 million in 1997 for the School Choice makeover that included two new mega-elementary schools. He said any financial benefits such as lower transportation costs would be lost in the expense of building a new school inside the city.

“Once again we can afford new construction, but not new textbooks,” Shorter said. “You’re going to end up with all black schools and all white schools.”

Price said those questions would be answered as he moves forward taking his case to the community.

“Nothing will be done until this full community has spoken,” Price said.

The shift to a choice-based plan, where racial balance is controlled administratively in granting or denying parents’ school selections, was triggered as elementaries became increasingly segregated in the 1990s. At the time, school trustees opted for choice as a means of avoiding the expense and confusion of redrawing school lines periodically to maintain required ratios.

Under Price’s plan, the 9,000-student district would go from seven elementaries three each in north and south zones plus one magnet to nine. The elementary at Bovina would be placed back in service and a new school would be built inside Vicksburg. Before starting, any change would need school board and U.S. Justice Department approval.

Trustees, who hired Price as the consolidated district’s fifth superintendent since it was created in 1987, voted 3-2 to allow the canvass to take place.

In other matters the school board:

Heard a letter from Vicksburg Warren High School teachers supporting Price and praising his performance as superintendent.

Awarded a bid for the lease of eight acres of 16th section land off U.S. 61 North for $500 annually.

Heard a request from Myra Thomas, a parent, to start each school day with a moment of silence.

Tabled a request from the Vicksburg Police Department to enter an agreement to use the school district’s print shop to print forms for the police department.

Heard a request from the Warren Central Robotics Team for $11,000 to help fund the group’s travel expense to the national robotics competition in Atlanta.

Approved a request from the Mississippi African American Monument Committee to allow public parking at Sherman Avenue Elementary School and for the use of five school buses on Feb. 14 for the dedication of a monument in the Vicksburg National Military Park.

Approved the 2004-2005 school year calendar.

Approved out-of-state travel for teachers and students.

Approved revising the school board policy to reflect increases in federal and state mileage reimbursement rates.

The school board will meet again at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 25 at the school administration offices.