Lamar Co Schools

[pharmcop]

I live ON the line dividing Oak Grove School District and Purvis School District. I'm not happy with OG and want to move my child to Purvis. The supervisors told me that she could not transfer because I did not have a valid reason. I was told that dissatisfaction with the school, the curriculum, the staff, disciplinary problems, and personal convenience were all invalid reason to transfer her, according to LC District policy. If dissatisfaction with the education my child is obtaining at the school she currently attends is not a valid reason, then WHAT is a valid reason?????????:confused: Is there a better reason than to improve the level of education she receives? I was told that since I live ON the line and my child is at OG, then I live in OG School District. How can this be if I live ON the line? Can anybody explain this other that to say that my child is another child for OG to claim in order to receive more money from the state?

[pharmcop]

I spoke to the county and state education supervisors. Those are the people who gave the answers I spoke of. I just can't believe that the quality of my child's education is not a "valid" reason for my wanting to transfer her.

[nthemedia]

Where I live you can live 100 feet outside the line.

[lamarrebel]

To digress for just a moment, two of the school board members are up for re-election this year: Joel Dunagin and Chris Ryals.

Dunagin's district includes the Oak Grove, Bellevue and Lake Serene precincts. Ryals' distrct runs generally from Purvis to Baxterville (though I cannot remember specific precinct -- that info is available from the Lamar County Circuit Clerk's office).

[lamarrebel]

Actually, TJ Norris was defeated by Steve Lampton in 2004. For the past year I have heard rumblings for an opponent for Dunagin (could he be photographed on camera, just once, with a hair out of place??), and I wouldn't be surprised if some of the rural school bond opponents tried to find someone to unseat Mr. Ryals. I personally like Ryals, and would not be advocating this at all, but I wouldn't be surprised if someone ran.

[pharmcop]

Thank you for all the info. I intend to fight this tooth and nail. I think it's ridiculous that they can write a policy that has your hands tied from the start.

[daisy]

I agree with Doc. You need to talk to a school board member and then approach the board as a whole if need be. I have met parents that moved to Sumrall for the above reasons. For some reason I remember hearing Chris Hudson is a real decent guy. Hub, don't put any of your hubba points on ever seeing Joel Dunagin's hair out of place. You'd have less pts. than I. It won't happen.

Veering off thread a bit, my uncle in another county has 5 children and went against the grain when need be for a child. The school bus picked them up far too early every day. He went to all the appropriate levels - principal ,bus driver, school board, bus barn,:smt038 etc; He called Washington, D.C. and spoke to someone in the education dep't. and got results right away. He's purely an advocate for what's best for his child. Some people in that system are afraid of him. He gets his way if it's right but he won't win a popularity contest. Good Luck!

[lamarrebel]

Hub, don't put any of your hubba points on ever seeing Joel Dunagin's hair out of place. You'd have less pts. than I. It won't happen.


I know you are right, but he'd do himself a huge favor with a lot of people if he did. I remember during the school bond campaign almost the entire Lamar Students First board cringed every time we saw him on the news, it seemed like for every one vote he might gain the effort in Oak Grove, he'd cost us 3 or 4 in Purvis, Sumrall and Baxterville. I know that he means well and has a heart for the schools in Lamar County, but to many rural voters around here, the only thing worse than an Oak Grove elitist is an Oak Grove elitist, who is an Ole Miss fan to boot!

[r13]

Next time you talk to the school board, ask them why kids up Hwy. 589, which is the Sumrall School District, can go to Oak Grove. Also, Brett Farve's kids go to Oak Grove but they live in the Sumrall School District.

[lamarrebel]

http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/communities/schools/index.html

Since Brett Farve's house is on the south side of U.S. 98, I am pretty certain his house falls in the Oak Grove attendance zone (look at the general map). I have understood that residents of the Sandstone subdivision about a mile or so north of Bellevue on the right hand side of Hwy 589 has the unique option of choosing whether to send their kids to Sumrall or Oak Grove. With that area being geographically closer to the Oak Grove schools, this is only fair, IMHO.

[r13]

If the parents of those kids get to choose where they go to school, why can't p-cop choose where their kids go? Seems only fair.

[lamarrebel]

Without knowing the specifics of p-cop's situation and location, I cannot really give an opinion. However, on the face, I know that the most dire overcrowding problems have been in the Oak Grove attendance zone, and it seems like the board shouldn't have a problem with someone wanting to transfer out. Purvis, as I have understood has (other than Baxterville) the least overcrowding problems at present.

Generally speaking, I favor school choice within public schools, not only within a school district, but between school districts. Unfortunately because of political and desegregration issues, this idea has never really been tried in Mississippi public schools, but I believe if school districts had to compete to an extent for students and tax dollars you might see overall improvement in the educational system.

[r13]

However, on the face, I know that the most dire overcrowding problems have been in the Oak Grove attendance zone, and it seems like the board shouldn't have a problem with someone wanting to transfer out. Purvis, as I have understood has (other than Baxterville) the least overcrowding problems at present.


That should be another reason for them to let p-cop's children transfer. During the bond issue all we heard was the overcrowding of Oak Grove. Now they refuse to let one transfer when it sounds like it is in the best interest for the student and the parents.

[Kitty]

Pharmcop, I suggest you call the school district office in Purvis and ask to speak with someone about your desire to transfer your child from Oak Grove to Purvis. Ultimately the transfer request will have to be presented to the school board for approval.

It is my understanding that the school board has approved "intra-district" transfers in the past. However, it will be interesting to see how frequently these transfers will happen in the future, particularly with Sumrall now having several well-known coaches (Buddy Duke, football; Larry Knight, baseball; Portland McCaskill-Brown, girls basketball) at the high school.

IF the school board has decided to curtail the number of "intra-district" transfers, it may be in an effort to keep athletes at their "home" schools. There have been rumors that some Oak Grove athletes, particularly baseball players, might be looking to transfer to Sumrall in order to play for Coach Knight.

Start with the central office in Purvis, go through the proper channels, and hopefully you will be able to transfer your child if you believe that move will be in his/her best interest.

[sidelinetolong]

Why even have the district lines if you are not going to enforce them? We could have a child playing football under Coach Bar at OG in the fall and then transfer to Sumrall to play baseball under Knight. If you think that will not happen just open the gates and watch the flood. Oak Grove High School is under a 4x4 system and kids that transfer in mid term will be left in the dark. If you live in Purvis your childern should go to the Purvis schools. If you feel that your children are not getting a Quality education at Oak Grove choose another school zone and move there. We have top quality schools across the Lamar School Dist, all schools are rated at level 5 or a high level 4. The children across the district have some of the highest test scores in the state. We should be proud of all of our schools and thank the teachers and administrators for a job well done.

[58ford]

Vouchers people!
Vouchers, vouchers, vouchers!

[r13]

Seems to me that the school district wants to do what's best for O.G. You never hear anything about Purvis or Sumrall, even though they are Level 5 also. If they would make kids go to the school they were supposed to, maybe O.G. wouldn't have such a problem with overcrowding.

[Kitty]

We could have a child playing football under Coach Bar at OG in the fall and then transfer to Sumrall to play baseball under Knight. If you think that will not happen just open the gates and watch the flood.
Under the "football in the fall at Oak Grove" and "baseball in the spring at Sumrall" scenario, the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) that governs athletics would declare such transfers ineligible to play, even if the school board approved the transfer.

Oak Grove High School is under a 4x4 system and kids that transfer in mid term will be left in the dark.
Excellent point, particularly since Oak Grove is the only high school in the Lamar County School District that utilizes the 4x4 block scheduling format.

I know someone whose son transferred mid-year from Oak Grove to another area HS (outside of the Lamar County School District) that is not on the 4x4 block schedule and it was challenging to make the adjustment... because of the block scheduling, in some instances he was "ahead" and in others he was "behind." Had this child not been a good student it probably would have been even more difficult to make the adjustment mid-year.

We have top quality schools across the Lamar School Dist, all schools are rated at level 5 or a high level 4. The children across the district have some of the highest test scores in the state. We should be proud of all of our schools and thank the teachers and administrators for a job well done.
Yes, indeed! All of the schools in the Lamar County School District are top-notch.

Back to my original point in an earlier post about rumors that some Oak Grove athletes may seek an intra-district transfer to Sumrall, I don't think they would request such a transfer mid-year for the very reason you indicated--the 4x4 block schedule (besides the fact that the MHSAA would declare them ineligible to play). However, it will be interesting to see if there are any intra-district requests made at the high school level prior to the beginning of a school year, before students get into the 4x4 block schedule.

[sidelinetolong]

Doc, a line is a line, you are on one side or the other not in the middle. The child has been in OG schools for two years. Which side of the line is that.

[Kitty]

The child has been in OG schools for two years.

I looked back at pharmcop's original post and didn't see any mention of how long the child has been in school at Oak Grove. :confused:

[justme]

Vouchers people!
Vouchers, vouchers, vouchers!

I totally agree with you. As a person whose child in in the Hattiesburg school district, I belive vouchers would best serve my child's intrest. It will never happen though.

[58ford]

Vouchers people!
Vouchers, vouchers, vouchers!
Capitolism works every time it's tried!
Beaurocracy (sp? I went to public school) only slows the creep of failure.
what is this lenghthen my message by three charachters BS? AARON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[lamarrebel]

I see both sides here, and I understand sideline's point that there we don't want students changing schools each semester to play for different coaches. However, I don't really believe that would happen with any frequency. Besides, haven't Coach Breland won more state titles thatn Sumrall's new baseball coach? Further, I don't see a vast influx of students wanting to transfer in the Lamar County School District because of the outstanding qualify of education that is provided. The biggest complaints I have heard is from people in Sumrall and Purvis complaining that Oak Grove high School offers more in "elective" courses that their schools. I sympathized to an extent with these individuals, but a high school with 400 students cannot offer the same elective courses that a school of 1,100 can. Barring building a huge "Lamar Central High School", which most Lamar Countians, I believe, are against, I don't really see a solution.

With Lamar County schools being excellent throughout, I don't see a huge number of stiudents wanting to tranfer. If it were my call, I'd let pharmcop's child transfer with pharmcop/family being responsible for taking the child to and from school.

[r13]

What are Vouchers?

[Kitty]

IF the school board has decided to curtail the number of "intra-district" transfers, it may be in an effort to keep athletes at their "home" schools. There have been rumors that some Oak Grove athletes, particularly baseball players, might be looking to transfer to Sumrall in order to play for Coach Knight.
At the risk of hi-jacking pharmcop's original intent for the "Lamar County Schools" thread, I stumbled across this thread (http://southernmiss.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=1355&mid=76525987&sid=&tid=76525987&style=2&Reset=1) on the Southern Miss EagleTalk board. The EagleTalk thread focuses on rumored "Oak Grove to Sumrall" transfers to play sports, specifically baseball.

[pharmcop]

Why even have the district lines if you are not going to enforce them? We could have a child playing football under Coach Bar at OG in the fall and then transfer to Sumrall to play baseball under Knight. If you think that will not happen just open the gates and watch the flood. Oak Grove High School is under a 4x4 system and kids that transfer in mid term will be left in the dark. If you live in Purvis your childern should go to the Purvis schools. If you feel that your children are not getting a Quality education at Oak Grove choose another school zone and move there. We have top quality schools across the Lamar School Dist, all schools are rated at level 5 or a high level 4. The children across the district have some of the highest test scores in the state. We should be proud of all of our schools and thank the teachers and administrators for a job well done.

Obviously, someone's opinio has led to the inability to read the original post. I live ON the line, meaning that I live in BOTH districts. Therefore, I will tell you the same thing I've already discussed with the school board members and the supervisors, I should not have to move anywhere since I live in both districts. Thank you for your concern for my, and probably your, child's education. A real education will not teach the value of a dollar before the value of learning.

[pharmcop]

Doc, a line is a line, you are on one side or the other not in the middle. The child has been in OG schools for two years. Which side of the line is that.

Obviously, I've spoken to you or someone close to you about this. If it's you, I'm sorry you are unable to allow me to do what I feel is best for my child.

[r13]

Doc, a line is a line, you are on one side or the other not in the middle. The child has been in OG schools for two years. Which side of the line is that.



Why don't you tell that to the parents that live up Hwy. 589. I've said it before, if they can send their kids to Oak Grove, when they clearly live in Sumrall's district, then Pharmcop should be able to send his kids to Purvis. What's fair for some should be fair for all.:smt086

[daisy]

I just read where someone said a line is a line--you live on one side or the other not the middle. Well, I know people whose bedroom is in one county and another bedroom in another county. By the way, do we know the width of that line? I would be wrong to assume any of that without knowing more.

[Conveyor Belt]

If your home is on the line, move her into the bedroom that's closest to the other school, and argue that one...

What if you pull her out of school to homeschool, then enroll her in the other school the next week?

[pharmcop]

r13, what applies to the people in the canebrake area doesn't always apply to the general public.

[pharmcop]

It's a lost cause. Apparently the map I saw which showed my residence on the line is not the map currently used. As it turns out, I live about 150 feet from the line. My kid is very disappointed, but there is nothing I can do other than move 151 feet. The fact that the OG bus has to go out of the way to pick up my child while the Purvis bus goes right by my house on a regular route doesn't make any difference either. But, if I'm not in the district, I'll have to move if I want her to go to Purvis. I wouldn't mind being out of OG anyway.

[r13]

What you could do is move to the canebrake area, buy you a $300,000 house. Then you could send your kids anywhere you wanted.

[SoMissTV]

Or, build a 151 ft. addition onto your home.

Or maybe a storage shed?

[daisy]

Or borrow or buy a cheap popup trailer.

[r13]

I hear F.E.M.A.'s selling trailers pretty cheap!