Fredrick Sparks is the Columbus Municipal School District’s newest board member.
The city council on Tuesday voted 4-2 to appoint Sparks to the board.
Ward 1 Councilman Gene Taylor, Ward 3 Councilman Charlie Box, Ward 4 Councilman Marty Turner and Ward 5 Councilman Stephen Jones supported Sparks’ appointment. Ward 2 Councilman Joseph Mickens and Ward 6 Councilman Bill Gavin opposed.
Sparks, a 24-year employee of the U.S. postal service, will take the post vacated by Jones, who stepped down from the school board after being elected to the Ward 5 city council seat last month.
Sparks told The Dispatch after Tuesday’s vote that he has a vested interest in trying to do the best for education in Columbus, as a product of the city, district and Mississippi University for Women.
“Being a board member puts me in a position where I can see the ins and outs as far how this thing’s supposed to go,” he said. “You’ve heard so many times, ‘No child left behind’ — I want to make sure we do that.”
Six others applied for the seat — Ronnie Clayton, Berry Hinds, Gregory Jefferson Sr., George Lowe, Willie Petty and Eric Thomas.
Sparks was the first candidate to receive a motion, which Taylor made. Turner introduced a substitute motion for Thomas, but it failed with no second.
Box then introduced a motion for Hinds. Councilmen knotted 3-3 on the vote, with Box, Turner and Gavin supporting and Taylor, Mickens and Jones opposed. Mayor Robert Smith broke the tie with a vote against Hinds.
The council then appointed Sparks.
Sparks will fill the remainder of Jones’ 5-year school board term, which expires in March 2019.
The school board oversees CMSD, which serves approximately 4,500 students. The board is made up of five council-appointed members. In addition to Sparks, they are Angela Verdell, Jason Sparks, Currie Fisher and Josie Shumake.
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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