Suddenly we are faced with a revelation, as we witness the responses that MUW and Mississippi State University (MSU) made to the request for proposals from the state Department of Education regarding the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science. That revelation seems to indicate that, as many of us suspected, the Starkville Oktibbeha School District and MSU were already in it up to their ears. But I submit that this is not the true revelation but rather that collectively the Mississippi Department of Education School Boards (the MSMS School Board) have not adequately addressed MSMS needs responsibly during the last several decades.
Looking at the efforts of the Starkville School Board, you can see that they were doing what any well run and student focused school board might do. That board assessed the needs of its students, as well as future education needs. They then proposed to construct new and better facilities. They even rightly decided, I think, that cooperating with MSU can raise the bar for their kids. However, the revelation also shows that it’s going to take more money than Oktibbeha citizens may want to pay. Enter the idea of state funding with MSMS as the prize.
Back in 1985-1987, the legislature hammered out a bill to create MSMS. (Public disclosure; I was one of the authors of that legislation.) We never wanted the Mississippi School Board to govern MSMS. Rather in our debate, we advocated a separate, dedicated board. Governor Bill Allain, fresh from his constitutional victories over the legislature, said it was either this or nothing. Our fear then was that the Mississippi School Board, responsible for all educational needs of the state, would let this special effort to challenge the brightest in our state end up lost in the shuffle of everyday humdrum. As a result, no adequate effort such as what Starkville made to assess needs and recommend funding and building modern facilities occurred with any real vigor during the years MSMS has existed.
The current Mississippi Department of Education Board just happens to be in the crosshairs. Their predecessors have mightily failed to take responsibility and thus we are faced with this issue going forward. There are no local taxing mechanisms available so just maybe this board can see that they can right the wrong created by lack of their fiduciary responsibility and continue to support and fund MSMS where the legislature placed it… at MUW. It never was an issue of where, only who would govern it. It passed by an overwhelming margin in both houses. In the bargain, maybe MSU and Starkville can come up with a plan to address the local needs of Starkville while adding the key STEM components that Mississippi State University can provide at an affordable cost. Leave MSMS to continue its excellence. It has already proven its worth.
Bruce J. Hanson
Columbus
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