Joan Morris was officially sworn in Thursday as the newest member of the board overseeing the Clarksdale Municipal School District.
Due to the absence of board attorney John Cocke, Morris was sworn in by H. Clay “Sandy” Stillions, vice-president of the school board.
Morris joins Stillions, Delores Harris, Sherley Fields and Kenneth Gooden on the board of education. She replaces Rob Tyner, who resigned from the board last month.
Tyner was serving as president of the board and no replacement has been named to succeed him in the position.
During Thursday’s meeting, the board:
* Agreed to purchase 60 laptop computers for Oakhurst Intermediate Academy at a total cost of $14,444.
* Approved an agreement with Funchess & Beane Consulting LLC for teacher coaching and data analysis at W.A. Higgins Middle School ($5,400 for 4.5 days) and Oakhurst Intermediate Academy ($6,000 for five days), and an agreement with Harper Educational Consulting for Booker T. Washington Elementary for 5.5 days at a total cost of $6,600.
* Gave its approval to incentive pay for Kirkpatrick Elementary teachers.
* Approved all personnel recommendations.
* Consented to pay claims totaling $620,627.48 for the month of October.
* Heard from principals Londeria T. Hayes of Oakhurst Intermediate Academy, Deborah Ware of W.A. Higgins Middle School and Brenda Miller of Booker T. Washington International Studies Magnet School, who each presented “at-risk” updates on their respective schools, which included pie charts illustrating the numbers that Stillions praised as “enlightening.”
