SOCSD Board approves state Partnership School funds
The Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District Board of Trustees approved more funds for the $27.5 million Partnership School at its board meeting Tuesday night.
The second half of the state of Mississippi’s $10 million contribution will come to the district following the approval of a resolution of the board and the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration. The resolution will be presented to the State Bond Commission declaring the necessity for the issuance of $5 million. The first $5 million was issued in April. The resolution was approved 3 to 0, with Board Vice President Lee Brand Jr. absent and one seat empty.
The board also approved advertising for the Partnership School bidding package 3 to 0. The date to deliver the advertisement to local newspapers is now Sept. 22. The first advertisement is Sept. 26 and the second is Oct. 26. “I spoke with (Partnership School architect) Bruce Wood the other day, and he informed me of a couple of dates that have been revised in this part of the process,” said Superintendent Eddie Peasant. “They’ve stepped up with the advertising date, but the award date has not changed and everything beyond that has not changed.”
The board also approved the district’s 2017-2018 professional development plan 3 to 0. The plan includes an agreement with consultants from Core Educational Services at $179,400 for teacher coaching and professional development, with $79,400 to come from contingency funds and $100,000 to come from title funds. The plan also includes a $19,500 agreement with Performance Based Education Company, Inc. for 15 days of U.S. history teacher coaching paid with title funds. A second $28,800 agreement with Performance Based Education for Go Green at Starkville High School is also included. It will be paid for with title funds. A $14,350 contract agreement with PD Analytics, a company tying professional development spending to measures of teacher outcomes, will be paid with contingency funds. Job descriptions for literacy and math curriculum and intervention specialists were also approved.
“As we work into this year as a team, our focus is not in programs, but on accountability for personal professional development and processes,” said Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Christy Maulding.
Any leftover title funds will reimburse the district’s contingency funds.
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