The Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District Board of Trustees approved a policy, with a 3-2 vote, allowing graduating seniors the option to purchase their SOCSD issued computers used during the school year. The policy also says if specific SOCSD devices currently issued to students are not allowed to be sold due to existing state or federal laws, a comparable device which can be sold will be made available.

All students in the school district received their own electronic device this past school year due to a grant from the Mississippi Department of Education.

Prices for these computers will be $1 for students who provide a document of acceptance into any two-year or four-year college or university or $75 for students not providing acceptance verification.

Board Vice President Wesley Gordon opposed the policy throughout the meeting saying students could abuse the privilege of buying a computer for $1 then sell it elsewhere for $200. He added he does not believe this will be fair to future students because graduating seniors now will receive a 1-year-old computer, but current freshmen would receive a 4-year-old computer when they graduate.

“We can’t sell a 1-year-old computer…,” Gordon said. “That’s fiscally irresponsible. … I don’t think we should be selling them for a dollar. A Coke costs more than the computers we’re going to be selling to these kids.”

He and board member John Brown were the two opposing votes.

Board member Debra Prince said she believed this initiative will help alleviate financial burdens for students.

“We’re doing something in addition to the education we’ve given them over the last 12 years to further their learning career,” Prince said. “It would help a lot of parents. That would not be an expense for their kid going to college. Not everybody can afford to go out and buy their kid that.”

While the policy passed, there was still much confusion on the logistics surrounding the grant-funded technology, such as how long the computers had to remain in the district before they were allowed to be sold. Board President Sumner Davis moved to direct Board Attorney John Hill to contact both the state Attorney General’s and Auditor’s offices and someone from the federal government with questions regarding funds and technology bought this past year before the district began selling these devices to students.

Bridge replacement
In other business, the board approved replacing a county-owned bridge on the high school campus for $673,000.

The city of Starkville will shoulder $600,000 of the cost through emergency road and bridge grant funds it received. The county and school district will split the remaining balance.