Senate Approves State Charter School Board

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – The Mississippi Senate has confirmed all six members of the state’s first charter school governing board.

Only one senator, Democrat Derrick Simmons of Greenville, voted against the confirmations Thursday.

The Senate Education Committee chairman, Republican Gray Tollison of Oxford, says each of the six offers unique talents. They have been serving since last summer, when three were nominated by the governor and three by the lieutenant governor.

The board chairman is attorney Tommie Cardin of Clinton. The other members are Ocean Springs Schools Superintendent Bonita Coleman-Porter, teacher Krystal Cormack of Clarksdale, businesswoman Karen Elam of Oxford, former gubernatorial education adviser Johnny Franklin of Bolton and real estate agent Chris Wilson of Laurel.

Charter schools are funded by tax dollars but are free from some regulations that govern other public schools.