Video: Consolidation Public Hearing In Starkville

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STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Nobody ever said that merging 2 school districts was going to be easy. Parents in Starkville and Oktibbeha County are getting a good idea of the obstacles that lay ahead. Today they made their voices heard at a public hearing in Starkvillle.

Parents who packed the Greensboro Auditorium had plenty to say.

“My biggest concern is just the how this is going to happen, the logistics of getting everybody in the entire county on the same page. I also firmly believe that no matter where the children live in the Starkville school district or out they all deserve the same education opportunities that we have,” said parent Kristi Montgomery.

While the consolidation commission focused on buildings, finances for both districts and funding…some parents were worried about keeping the public school system attractive to those who come to work at the University or Starkville in general.

“My hope for all the children in Oktibbeha County and the city of Starkville is that they get the same opportunities that my girls did and that people who come to Mississippi State will be attracted by the strength of our public school system because I think there’s a real connection there,” added parent Nelle Cohen.

The commission and some visiting state lawmakers got an earful from the public. Now they must weigh those ideas and concerns, and decide the best course of action moving forward.

“If you have good school your going to have good economic development, you have Yocohoma and Columbus and Clay County, you’ll have more of that business come in here and say they’ve got a great school system they’ve got an educated workforce. If you want to improve earning you want to bring more jobs to the community, education is the way to do it and this is an effort to do that,” said Senator Gray Tollison from District 9.

The commission meets again in two weeks.