Boycott Likely Against West Point School District

April 11, 2011

A group of concerned parents and other citizens in West Point are planning to boycott the West Point School District if new administrators who are chosen to lead the district don't meet the group's criteria for an administrator.
The community interest support group met Thursday night at a local church and talked about the selection of a new superintendent for the WPSD as well as a new principal for West Point High School, who will replace outgoing principal Alvin Taylor this summer.
Because the WPSD is made up of approximately 80 percent of black students, the concerned citizens feel that the new school superintendent, whom the school board is in the process of selecting, should be black. Currently, the West Point School Board has only two black members, and the group feels that the representation of the school district is unbalanced.
The citizens want the selection of the new school superintendent, who will replace current superintendent Steve Montgomery this summer, to be fair. Because the board discussed the applicants for superintendent in executive session a few weeks ago, the group believes the board is not involving the community in the selection process and feels the board already had in mind who they wanted to select before all 17 applications came in.
The community interest support group is also concerned with Montgomery appointing new administrators at different schools instead of allowing the newly chosen superintendent to choose administrators once he or she is hired. Though some in the community believe that the school board has selected Scott Hallmark, current assistant principal of the WPHS north campus, to be interim principal of the high school, the board has not approved anyone to be interim, and Taylor will continue as principal until he takes his leave this summer to be superintendent of the Meridian School District.
Due to a death in his family, Montgomery was unavailable for comment on Friday.
Another concern of the group is that if a new principal and assistant principal of the high school are moved in by the current superintendent, then the next superintendent will likely keep the new hires instead of bringing in new administrators.
The group discussed the possible departures of some WPHS teachers, whom they feel will leave after Taylor goes to Meridian. Some said they believe these teachers don't feel comfortable working under another principal besides Taylor, who has been with the district since 2006, and may seek a position in the Meridian School District or go to another district.
The school board is meeting Monday at 5:30 p.m., and any interested citizens are invited to attend. A possible march by the group is likely before the meeting begins.