TIM PRATT
The Starkville Board of Aldermen Tuesday appointed a seasoned educator and volunteer to fill the vacant seat on the Starkville School District’s board of trustees, but not before city officials exchanged contentious words on the selection.
Aldermen voted 5-2 to appoint Susan Tomlinson to fill the board of trustees seat vacated by Dr. Walter Taylor, who retired earlier this month. Ward 6 Alderman Roy A. Perkins and Ward 7 Alderman Henry Vaughn voted against Tomlinson’s appointment.
Prior to the vote, Perkins made a motion to appoint Dr. Walter Conley, former superintendent of the Oktibbeha County School District, to fill Taylor’s seat, but the motion failed when aldermen Ben Carver, Eric Parker, Richard Corey and Jeremiah Dumas voted against Conley’s appointment. Ward 2 Alderwoman Sandra Sistrunk abstained from the vote on Conley.
When Sistrunk nominated Tomlinson shortly thereafter, only Perkins and Vaughn voted against the appointment. Perkins cited Conley’s 20 years of experience as superintendent of the Oktibbeha County School District, his two years as assistant principal at Starkville High School, and the fact that Conley taught in the Starkville, Oktibbeha County and West Point school districts, as his reasons for the nomination.
Neither Perkins nor Vaughn were pleased their fellow aldermen rejected Conley in favor of Tomlinson, who volunteered in the Starkville School District for 15 years, had two children pass through the SSD and another who is a current student, and has worked at Mississippi State University in the horticulture, floristry and agriculture fields.
“I wish that we as a board could set the leadership and start moving this city forward by doing what I think is the right thing, and we need to, in my opinion, start to make decisions that reflect the best qualified applicants,” Perkins said prior to the vote on Tomlinson. “We have a statement in our employment policy saying we want to have individuals who are the best, most qualified. If we can start doing that, we will see more progress, we can see more forward movement. If we start doing that, we will find a healthier situation, healthier relationships. I wish we could just start looking at the credentials to ensure that we make the right choices, the right decisions, about things that are going to be for the overall betterment (of the city) based on credentials.”
Read complete article at Commercial Dispatch.
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Congratulations to Mrs. Susan Tomlinson on being appointed to the school board. She will do an excellent job in that role. Susan has been involved in the school system for many years and has an understanding of the needs of our students.
Leroy says Mrs. T. is the bestest choice for the job. Leroy wonders if a stink is being stirred? Leroy read in da mornin paper that Alderman Perky asked da mayor to veto Mrs. T., and the Mayor said he “did not know if he would veto the appointment”. Leroys says if the cat says he don’t know if he’s vetoin or not, then that means he is likely gonna do doing it. Leroy says if he does it, a LOT of cats are going to start playing race cards left and right in StarkVegas. Leroy hopes that don’t happen, but says stupid is as stupid does.
What happens if the pick is vetoed? Do they go back to the pool of applicants they have now, or would it open the search back up?
I’m hearing the mayor wants to veto Mrs. Tomlinson and won’t be happy until Dr. Conley is appointed. I just don’t get it. Why would the mayor, Perkins, and Vaughn endorse a candidate like Conley who failed miserably with the county schools to the point that the State stepped in and took over. I’m afraid our mayor is listening to the wrong people.
I’m hearing the same thing as Leroy and Randy. I think a veto on this is political suicide- he will be overriden and this action will serve no purpose other than to create a larger racial divide, because his actions will be saying he thinks the Board chose the White candidate over the Black when the simple fact is Dr. Conley is a retired educator with a bad track record. Under Dr. Conley, the OC Schools were put under conservatorship by the State. He is not what we need. 3 Dems and 2 Rep on the Board see that. Perkins, puppet #1 Vaughn and puppet #2 Wiseman do not.