Schools special projects director Debra Hullum counts ballots on whether to change to community schools.(Jon Giffin The Vicksburg Post)

[2/25/04]A tally of nearly 4,000 forms with nearly 90 percent of them backing realignment of elementaries will be presented to the school board tonight with three members expected to vote yes.

Tuesday was the last day of a canvass of residents in the Vicksburg Warren School District.

Superintendent James Price said the district received 3,738 forms and 87 percent were for the community schools plan first presented to board members in December. At that time, the five trustees voted 3-2 to allow Price to move forward to gauge faculty and citizen reaction.

“I’m really grateful for the people who took the time to fill out and turn in these input forms,” Price said. “It will allow us now to discuss with the board the community’s views.”

Warren County has about 50,000 residents in 20,000 households. Price had said fewer than 3,000 forms would be too small a sample.

“I’m optimistic that the board will view this as the will of the community and move forward with unity,” Price said.

Board members are elected from five county supervisor districts. The three who gave Price the nod in say they’ll do so again.

“If the community supports it, I’m behind it,” said Kay Aasand, trustee from District 5 and board president. “We, as a board, need to listen to what the community is telling us.”

District 4 Trustee Jan Daigre said she was 100 percent behind the plan.

“I think this plan will benefit all children, not just the county children, not just the city children, but all children,” Daigre said. “I think that we, as a community and as a board, need to support the education of all children from all areas of our community.”

District 1 Trustee Chad Barrett said he would absolutely vote in favor of returning to community schools.

“That’s what I ran on; I went door-to-door trying to stop the megaschools,” Barrett said. “So I would most certainly be in support of community schools.”

District 3 Trustee Betty Tolliver and District 2 Trustee Zelmarine Murphy declined comment until hearing from Price at tonight’s meeting. They cast the nay votes three months ago.

The plan also received nearly 90 percent support from faculty after Price went to each school and conducted votes. Principals of the 13 schools in the 9,000-student consolidated district unanimously backed the plan.

If the board gives its approval tonight, the plan will go before the U.S. Justice Department for approval and, if approved, could go into effect in August.

The proposal includes:

Building a new elementary inside city limits. School officials have looked at the former Carr Central High School property. Only Bowmar and Warrenton elementaries are inside the city limits. New construction accounts for most of the $10.5 million price of the plan;

Opening Bovina as an elementary;

Returning all elementaries to K-6 schools; and

Redrawing district lines to ensure racial balance.

The district implemented a choice-based plan for elementaries in 1999 in a $34 million makeover. That plan allows parents to rank the top three elementary schools in their zone that they would like their child to attend. District administrators have the final say to ensure a racial balance. Under the plan, the district built two new schools, Dana Road and Sherman Avenue. The idea was to racially balance the district without redrawing district lines every few years. Five elementaries were closed under the plan.

Price, superintendent since July, said there are many pluses for community schools, among them stronger neighborhood pride.

He said he discovered many parents have never been in the schools their children attend, and believes more closely zoned schools would change that.