Rankin Schools New $9 Million Building

I find it unreal that this is what OUR TAX money went too…I am a Parent of a child that goes to Mclaurin and I also work for Rankin Co Schools and this is uncalled for…My child is in a building where teachers have to share rooms… this building is how old? Mclaurin is 50 Years old! So Why Cant Schools like Mclaurin get new buildings I will tell you what I think… I think its because most of the parents of the children that go to these little (GROWING) schools dont have the money that the children parents do in places like Brandon and Northwest Rankin…Lack of space is what they say but we have the room I do believe and if we dont, well thats easly fixed… send half the kids to Florence and Half to Brandon for 1 year, cause thats all it will take, and rebuild where it is now…Both the schools I have said here have new buildings and have the room… A 9 MILLION building for 30 some odd people (HALF dont stay in the building all day) when they could have just added on and redone the old one and used the other money for something that will help our kids… I will say working for the schools that we need something that teaches these kids early about TEENAGE PREGANCY and Help the ones that fall trough the cracks…I agree with the ones above me that said things about the Band and Choir programs but dont forget the Girls Softball, Tennis Teams, Track Team, and the list goes on THESE are the things that keep kids off the STREETS after school and gives some of them a reason to strive in school…
I also think a STATE investigation should be done on why Tax payers money was use for the New High School in Brandon when Section 16 land is free for our schools… They say that there was an investigation done on why this happen but the people that did the investigation was local people with children at the school.

A Parent and a Tax payer

While it is always wonderful to see our communities grow and new buildings arise, it is somewhat discouraging to see 9 million dollars spent on the new Rankin County School Board Building. I really thought when I voted for our county superintendent of education and school board, that I was voting for people who would place more emphasis on things our children need in the schools in Rankin County than for fine buildings.

Some of our children had to wait last year through winter months in freezing weather for parts to repair heat in some of the classrooms. The 9 million dollar bulding was in the works at the time.

This past spring we, with students at Northwest Rankin High School, approached the Rankin County School Board and asked to have the Northwest Rankin High School Band be placed in the Rankin County School Budget. Of course the building was far to important to hear our concerns.

As a citizen and taxpayer in Rankin County, Mississippi and the USA, I am given to wonder why. Rankin County, partcularly Flowood where the school is located, is one of the wealthiest counties in our state. BUT, there is no money to help our band students. Parents and folks in our community help with fundraisers to raise a little money. It is a pitance of what the band needs.

In November, the NWRHS Cougar Band will go to Chicago, by invitation, to perform in the nationally televised annual McDonald’s Thanksgiving Parade. Our children are rightfully proud of their accomplishments and are looking forward to marching in Chicago. It is a sorrowful thing that they will be marching with ragged drum line so worn by many years of use. They march in parades, perform at all ballgames and at times honor this county with other concerts. There is no help for this band from our county.

It is disconcerting to realize that counties with more debt and less tax base, place their school bands in their budgets when planning. I suppose those counties see their children as the future and place priority on the future rather than buildings.     

Elections will come again. Perhaps the Rankin County School Board and Superintendent of Education can learn some lessons from others. Perhaps they can learn to be more gracious at School Board meetings and allow representatives of our musically talented children more than 5 minutes to state their plea for a part of the budget.

I fail to understand why people in positions of authority are so selfish. They want the praise for themselves. It would be far more honorable to praise our children and bestow the emphasis upon them.

Dr. Weathersby enjoy your building. I highly suspect that I shall never enter and be greeted by such royalty. Ms Sturdivant keep your timer close. Someone may need to give you 5 minutes one day. I am not wealthy with money but my life is far richer than yours because of my association with these children you deny.