Home & Garden Nekkid ladies bring fall color
Prentiss County Another arrest made for home repair fraud
McNairy County Fire chief should get his job back
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Wednesday Sept. 13,
2017
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Daily Corinthian Vol. 121, No. 219
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• Corinth, Mississippi • 20 pages • Two sections
Corinth adopts new budget, levy BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
The Corinth Board of Mayor and Aldermen on Tuesday adopted the budget and tax levy for fiscal 2018, holding the millage rate level. While the ad valorem tax rate
holds at 95, including the school district taxes, some property owners will pay more tax because of this year’s property reassessment. Revenue from ad valorem taxes is projected to increase from $2,544,000 to $2,697,500.
General revenue millage remains 26.3. Total school millage remains 59.2 with an increase in the school’s general millage from 44 to 46.2 by elimination of 1.2 mills that was designated for the school vo-tech fund and reduction of
Losing $16 million
school bonds and interest from 11 mills to 10 mills. Other levies included in the total 95 mills are 6 mills for municipal bonds and interest, 2 mills for parks and recreation, and 1.5 mills for the Corinth Library.
BY JEBB JOHNSTON
Staff photo by Zack Steen
District releases transfer numbers BY ZACK STEEN
“There is a provision in the policy that allows the board to approve a transfer if it’s the recommendation of the superintendent and the parent has met with the superintendent and principal. There is also an exception of where the student’s parents are divorced and one parent is living in another school district.”
zsteen@dailycorinthian.com
Staggering new numbers have been released concerning student transfers out of county schools. Superintendent Larry B. Mitchell said the Alcorn School District loses about $16 million a year from students who attend a school outside the county. He said around 300 students are currently attending Corinth, Prentiss, Tishomingo or Tippah school districts who should, according to law, be attending a school in Alcorn County. The numbers were presented during a Monday night Board of Education meeting that finally saw the pasting of a new student transfer policy. The measure was approved by all but one board member. Randy Wilbanks, president of the board, casted the only no vote. The new policy follows state statute and allows student transfers out of ASD only if a parent is an employee of another district, the student lives more than 30 miles from the district or a sibling of the student has attended another district prior 1992. “There is a provision in the policy that allows the board to approve a transfer if it’s the recommendation of the superintendent and the parent has met
Arch Bullard
School Board Attorney with the superintendent and principal,” said board attorney Arch Bullard. “There is also an exception of where the student’s parents are divorced and one parent is living in another school district.” Board member Ann Little wants an ammendent added to the policy to help stop already transferred student’s siblings from being “grandfathered in” as transfers because their brother or sister attends another school. “We need to close every avenue, otherwise it’s just going to keep happening,” she said. “$16 million is a serious amount that our kids could be benefiting from.” Little added, “If a family is
living in our district and taking advantage of everything we have to offer in the county, then their kids should be made to attend county schools. It’s the way it works everywhere else.” Mitchell agreed. He said when a family decides to live in Alcorn County, they are making the choice to send their kids to county schools. “If we set a date that’s no more than four years then that gives them time,” Little told the board. “It’s something we need to talk about, but I think June 2020 should be the date. That takes care of everyone who is in high school now. After that I think people need to figure out
Walking trail improvements for Crossroads Regional Park and E.S. Bishop Park are on track to begin construction in the next few months. A grant for the track improvements has been formally awarded, and locals met Monday with representatives of Lions Club International to push the project forward. In addition to $100,000 now confirmed from the service organization, local matches committed are $42,000 from Corinth; $42,000 from the Magnolia Foundation; and $17,000 from local Lions. Crossroads Regional’s track will be widened and Bishop’s track will be improved, all with Americans with Disabilities Act compliance. Locals are excited to see the project getting off the ground. “That is the most utilized entity in Corinth,” Mayor Tommy Irwin said of the walking track alongside South Parkway. The group applauded Steve Little, who has Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy, for his commitment to making the track more accessible for
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“That is the most utilized entity in Corinth.” Tommy Irwin Corinth mayor
those who have low vision. “Without Steve Little, none of this would have happened,” said Vicki Bond, state centennial coordinator with Lions International. “Steve, we thank you for that.” The track at Crossroads Regional will be widened to 8 feet and gain benches, signage, distance markers and a warmup area. A couple of trees may need to be removed, and some work will also be done on the nearby bridge. At Bishop Park, the track will be reconfigured and surfaced. In a separate project, new playground equipment is about to be installed at Bishop Park. The project will soon be ready to go out for bids. With construction time not expected to exceed four months, completion could be in the spring.
Popular fair Cheer Off moving to Saturday BY ZACK STEEN zsteen@dailycorinthian.com
Two popular events are returning this weekend to the Alcorn County Fair. The annual fair Cheer Off presented by The Dinner Bell and Modern Woodmen Fraternal Financial and the Fairest of the Fair Pageant will both happen on Saturday inside the Crossroads Arena. Danny Turner, fair committee board member, said the Cheer Off is one of the biggest events surrounding fair week. “The Cheer Off has always been held the first day of the fair,” said Turner. “This year we have moved it to Saturday, which should only
Please see TRANSFERS | 2A
Please see CHEER
“The Cheer Off has always been held the first day of the fair. This year we have moved it to Saturday, which should only help make the event even better.” Danny Turner
Fair committee board member
OFF | 2A
25 years ago
10 years ago
A building permit is issued for construction of Corinth’s new Wal-Mart Supercenter.
Mary Winkler, whose conviction for killing her minister husband drew national attention to Selmer, appears on the Oprah Winfrey Show.
2013 NISSAN
JUKE S
Please see CITY | 2A
City track projects take step forward jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
Board members Ricky Fields and Ann Little discuss the new student transfer policy with Alcorn School District Superintendent of Education Larry B. Mitchell.
The budget includes a 3 percent pay increase for municipal employees and anticipates the possible addition of an employee in connection with carrying out goals of the Envision 2040
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