The Columbus Municipal School District Board of Trustees is set to turn one of its five appointed seats into an elected one come November due to an increase in the number of students living outside city limits but inside the district’s territory.
The district currently serves about 2,977 total students, according to April enrollment numbers.
“Of that, 561 are enrolled students that come from the added territory, which is the territory that is part of the Columbus (Municipal) School District but is actually outside of the municipal limits,” Board Attorney Chris Hemphill told The Dispatch on Tuesday.
That means roughly 18.8% of students enrolled at CMSD live in the added territory or the “separate school district.” State law requires one seat to become an elected position once those students make up 15% of the total enrollment.
The Columbus City Council typically appoints trustees to five-year terms on a rotating basis, with one board seat coming up for reappointment each March. The elected seat will also carry a five-year term. The council will continue to appoint the other four members of the board.
Hemphill said the law requires the elected seat to replace the board member whose term is set to roll off, meaning Josie Shumake’s seat will be the one up for grabs. Shumake is currently serving her second term on the board. Because she’s not a resident of the separate school district territory, she is not eligible to run for the seat.
The new member will take office Jan. 1, Hemphill said, cutting Shumake’s term by two months.
While one appointed trustee – Telisa Young – already resides in the added territory, Hemphill said there’s no stipulation that limits the number of board members who live in the separate school district.
“There’s absolutely no problem with having more than one person from the added territory,” he said. “It’s just at this point, due to the increase, we legally have to have one. The fact that Mrs. Young is on the board doesn’t change anything because it says that person has to be elected.”
The special election for the seat is set for Nov. 4. The qualifying period of prospective candidates opens July 22 and closes at 5 p.m. Aug. 21. Candidates must reside in the school district’s added territory for at least two years preceding the election and have a high school diploma or equivalent, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.
Superintendent search
Board President Robert Smith said the district plans to meet next week with the Mississippi School Board’s Association, which is leading the superintendent search for CMSD. At that time, the board will have a better idea of how many applicants there are for the job, he said.
Superintendent Stanley Ellis resigned from the position in April to take the job as interim superintendent for the Humphreys County School District and live closer to his family.
Ellis will remain with the district through the end of the month. Craig Chapman, who is currently the district’s assistant superintendent, will serve as the interim in the meantime, Smith said.
Smith said MSBA is responsible for receiving and evaluating applications for the timeline. The organization will also interview applicants to narrow the board’s choices before a decision is made, he said.
In previous superintendent searches, the district has solicited public input about the superintendent position. Smith said the board intends to do the same this year, though it will likely be during the regularly scheduled monthly meetings.
“We’re going to (ask for public input) to a certain extent,” he said. “We might not go to all the (community centers) like we’ve done in the past. We don’t plan on going to all of those places, but yes, most definitely going to get public input.”
McRae is a general assignment and education reporter for The Dispatch.
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