Our county is blessed to have administrators willing to do things to promote a cause and show the community their true nature.
For leaders in society, community members may forget that they are human.
Maybe it’s the added responsibility that causes some people in high-ranking positions to express a demeanor that may look unfriendly. Fortunately our county employs educational leaders who are willing to show they care.
Take Poplarville School District Superintendent Carl Merritt’s willingness to dye his mustache pink as an example. Thursday he did just that in honor of two things, Breast Cancer Awareness Month and attendance rate in the Poplarville School District.
He dyed his mustache because the district’s students reached a predetermined school attendance goal during the month of October.
The kids delivered, and so did Merritt. It must have been a sight to see as a cosmetologist applied pink dye to a man’s thick facial hair. But the kids were excited to see that he followed through with his promise, and it looks like they have about a week to continue to do so since the dye is said to last for about 10 days.
There are many ways that educators attempt to reach children. Whether it’s helping them read a book, solving a math problem or remembering a historical fact.
It’s refreshing to see a superintendent get involved in the community.
But Merritt is not the only one.
What may not be known to some is that Picayune Superintendent Dean Shaw paints championship years on the side of the varsity football stadium; a task he could easily delegate to a school district employee.
Pearl River County School District Superintendent Allen Lumpkin holds a fundraiser each year in memory of his daughter who passed away several years ago.
So, our community is fortunate to have school district leaders who are involved in not only each child’s education, but in the betterment of the county.