Greenville parents, alumni and community leaders urged the city council on Tuesday to hold school board and district officials accountable after a June vote to close Coleman Middle School and move roughly 290 students to T.L. Weston Middle, Mississippi Today reported.
The Greenville school board voted 3-2 in June to relocate the students, with Board President Antoinette Williams, Board Secretary Allison Washington and member Drew Newsom voting in favor, Mississippi Today reported. The board took no public comments at the meeting; Williams told parents it was illegal to allow comment because it was not on the adopted agenda and that district policy requires the public to request to address the board seven days before a meeting, the report said.
Superintendent Ilean Richards cited moldy walls and a leaking roof as reasons to close Coleman for renovations on June 25, Mississippi Today reported. Several parents have since questioned moving the students to T.L. Weston, which critics say also needs a new roof. School board member Anjohnette Gibbs-Walton told Mississippi Today that turnover among business managers and superintendents likely contributed to missing documentation related to federal aid.
Parents and former school leaders also raised safety concerns. Mississippi Today reported that Coleman logged 127 incidents of violence in 2023-24 and T.L. Weston logged 160. Former T.L. Weston Principal Clayton Barksdale told the outlet he found it difficult to accommodate roughly 405 students and said he does not see how the building could hold about 700. Parent Kim Jones told Mississippi Today she feared for her children’s well-being if the schools were combined.
Mayor Errick Simmons told the meeting to gather evidence of wrongdoing before drawing conclusions and said Mississippi law provides legal avenues for investigation, according to Mississippi Today. City Attorney Brandon Dorsey suggested parents consult an attorney. School board member Gibbs-Walton told the council the board wants to partner with the community and do what is best for students, the report said.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
