Clarksdale Collegiate board members received an annual performance report for the Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board at their meeting Monday night.
“I’d say the area that we’re doing the best is our enrollment and our wait list is in demand for entrance to the school,” said Clarksdale Collegiate Public Charter School executive director Amanda Johnson.
The school is currently in its third year and enrolls kindergarten through fourth graders. It will add a grade each year until students through eighth grade are enrolled.
The enrollment is at 330 students for the 2020-21 school year with 149 on the wait list. There are 52 fourth graders enrolled with 47 on the wait list, 50 third graders enrolled with 43 on the wait list, 75 second graders enrolled with 12 on the wait list, 76 first graders enrolled with 30 on the wait list and 77 kindergarteners enrolled with 17 on the wait list.
The biggest struggle at this time is not unfamiliar to many as students are going to school virtually and not meeting in-person at the facility.
“I think the thing that we could do better is the area that everybody is working on now,” Johnson said. “How do you make virtual work and be successful?”
Johnson talked about the learning curve involved.
“I think the biggest thing is just making sure everybody has the resources that they need and making sure everybody knows how to get engaged,” Johnson said.
She said it is important for everyone to get the answers they need.
“The biggest thing is our teachers are working really hard just making sure that students have an opportunity to login and have everything that they need to engage every single day,” Johnson said.
Johnson still plans for the school to use virtual learning devices once students are back in the building full-time.
“I think we have the devices now so we can stay with kids one-to-one and allow them to utilize the devices at home beyond COVID,” Johnson said. “I think helps us to accelerate our program in the future.”
In other business:
Two Charter School board members have resigned in recent months to avoid any conflict of interest.
Bishop Zedric Clayton’s resignation was accepted during Monday’s monthly meeting. Clayton was appointed to the Clarksdale Municipal School District board in the spring by Mayor Chuck Espy.
A recent Mississippi Attorney General opinion said Clayton could not serve on both the city and charter school boards.
Board member Chuck Rutledge tendered his resignation during the summer when he became the owner’s representative to oversee the facilities project for the school. Rutledge chaired the facilities committee when he was on the board.
The board agreed to purchase St. Paul's United Methodist Church at 1012 West Second Street and construction for new buildings on the property is in the works.
Clayton and Rutledge have not been replaced on the board, but Johnson said the goal is to once again have seven board members.
Since there are currently five board members, only three must be present to constitute a quorum.
All five board members were present Monday night.
