PRC School Board of Trustees welcomes Burge, Frazier

Published 7:00 am Saturday, January 12, 2019

Two new members of the Pearl River County School Board of Trustees were sworn in during Thursday’s meeting.

Christian Burge and Jerry Frazier, who won their seats during an election held last November, officially took over their duties after being sworn in.

Before the Board moved into the agenda, Board President Elaine Voss took a moment to recognize the District’s school resource officers for their dedication to the children and staff in keeping them safe.

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Voss said that statistics have shown that it typically takes about 10 to 15 minutes for law enforcement to respond to a call, but when officers are on site they can take care of little issues before they become major.

Curriculum Coordinator Kim Alford addressed the Board about a professional development day held earlier this month. The day was held on Jan. 3, the day before children were to come back from their holiday break. During the training, teachers heard about topics they requested, which focused more on day to day topics. Alford said the topics included CRAZE training, which teaches people how to handle an active shooter situation. Every teacher and staff member of the District attended the training. Gage McClinton, Student Council President, told the Board that he was glad to hear the staff underwent the CRAZE training, but cautioned them that more needs to be done to ensure the safety of the students and staff.

Alford said the development day also included training to help teachers better reach students with ADHD.

During discussion of bids for additions and renovations at the Elementary campus, Burge asked if the Board had received more than one bid. She was informed that two bids had been received and the one from Wharton-Smith Inc. for $10.2 million was the lowest and best.

In a separate matter, a motion was approved to hold a Board work session on Feb. 23, in the chapel at the Endeavor campus. The purpose of the meeting, which is open to the public, is to work on planning and strategies.

The Board also approved a motion to move next month’s meeting from its regular date of Feb. 14, to Feb. 21 at 5 p.m.