In advance of today’s Lowndes County School Board meeting, Sherry Harris, parent of New Hope High School student and football player Javonte Ellis, filled out a form so she could be placed on the agenda to speak to the board.
Harris said she soon got a phone call from the district denying her request from the board, citing the matter as a personnel issue. Harris wanted to speak before the board to protest the district’s decision not to renew the contract of New Hope football coach Shawn Gregory. Gregory, a teacher at New Hope Elementary School, had been coach for just one season, with the Trojans finishing with a 4-7 record.
The Dispatch reported that New Hope High School Principal Matt Smith told the team’s players on Jan. 15 that Gregory would not return for a second year. Players asked him and other school officials for more information but never got answers.
The meeting’s agenda indicates board members will address the non-renewal of Gregory’s contract. But the fact that concerned parents won’t have their say is something that troubles Harris, who says she will be part of a large group of parents who still plan to attend. The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. at New Hope Middle School.
“I didn’t think it was right that the parent of a student could not voice the opinion on how they felt about the coach,” Harris said. “I’m very upset about the situation because I felt like we should be able to have an opinion and have a voice.”
Ellis was one of 35 players on the team to skip practice the day after Smith’s announcement to show support for the coach. They all received in-school detention for the action.
Harris said while she doesn’t agree with a policy that prohibits stakeholders from being able to speak with the board when they’re concerned about a personnel decision, she wants to see what the board does regarding Gregory’s status.
“I’m going to be there for support and hoping that they will let us voice our opinion, but if not, there’s nothing I can do,” Harris said. “I’m just trying to support my son and the football team.”
Nathan Gregory covers city and county government for The Dispatch.
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