School consolidation talks ending
Following two public forums held over the past couple of months to address the future of public education in Philadelphia and Neshoba County, the discussions have ended, according to Lee C. Smith, the organizer.
In a letter to the editor that appears in today’s Democrat, Smith said that while varied viewpoints were presented at each meeting, most opinions came from members affiliated with the Community In Action (C.I.A.) organization and Philadelphia Public School District (PPSD) board members, including the president, noting that not all PPSD board members in attendance expressed their opinion.
Smith said that a vocal majority vehemently opposed any change to the current structure of public education in Philadelphia and Neshoba County, citing the preservation of the school culture as a primary concern.
Smith said individuals within the C.I.A. and PPSD board expressed worries that consolidating the school districts would lead to the ostracization and underrepresentation of black children currently enrolled in the Philadelphia Public School District.
“This opinion is obviously not informed by the current black student experience within the NCSD,” Smith said.
“In fact, when comparing performance and achievement data provided by the Mississippi Department of Education, all children are performing at a significantly higher level within the NCSD, including black children,” Smith said. “In my opinion, children are currently being ostracized from equal educational opportunity to ensure positions of power and racial majorities are maintained within the PPSD.”
Smith said the meetings were dominated by the C.I.A. and PPSD school board members who stood in solidarity against discussing change with the current structure.
“I commend these individuals for exercising their God-given, American right to express themselves. However, the lack of diverse opinions resulted in these public discussions being futile,” Smith said.
He said that although objective data was presented regarding declining enrollment and continual underperformance, neither the C.I.A. nor the PPSD school board would consider the potential educational improvement consolidation could provide.
He mentioned that the president of the PPSD school board made it clear that the Philadelphia School Board would oppose consolidation if asked to vote on it.
Smith also noted the low attendance of individuals affiliated with the Neshoba County School District at the meetings and the absence of Neshoba County School District board members.
Citing what he said is Mississippi law, Smith said that voluntary consolidation requires agreement from both the Philadelphia and Neshoba County school boards, and considering the PPSD board president’s statement that the PPSD board would not entertain consolidation, Smith said he sees no purpose in continuing the discussion.
“I have exhausted all power I have as a non-officeholding citizen,” he said. “The ultimate power required to improve education for future generations lies in the hands of our local school board members and state legislators. After much research and consideration, I do not foresee the people currently holding these positions taking action on this issue. If you have concerns related to the future of education in our community, I recommend contacting your school board members, representative(s) and/or voting differently.