Meridian School Board OKs disaster relief application

By By Georgia E. Frye / staff writer
May 20, 2003
Meridian School Board members approved an application Monday for disaster relief from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help four school sites that received damage from floods in early April.
The district will receive $43,000 in relief money. The district may also qualify for federal funds from the second round of floods in mid-April.
In other business on Monday, the school board took the following actions:
The board met behind closed doors with Amelia Portis, who said her daughter, Meridian High School student Brittani Portis, didn't make the school cheerleading squad because of racial discrimination.
Amelia said her daughter, who is black, should have been allowed to cheer her senior year. The board took no action; board President Fred Wile said the board would schedule a work session on athletic policies.
The board voted against signing a contract with Edusoft, a software program that would provide teachers and principals a means of self-assessment.
Cheryl Thomas, executive director of curriculum and professional development, said the school district has been searching for software to let teachers assess student performance at any point in the year.
The board renewed the Success for All contract. Assistant Superintendent Sylvia Autry asked for approval of the classroom program, but said the district should continue to monitor it.