By Rupert Howell
North Panola Superintendent Cedric Richardson, during a special called meeting of the trustee board last Thursday, warned his board that many of the school district’s practices, policies and procedures needed to be put in place or updated to maintain accreditation.

He reminded board members of shortcomings with policies and procedures that were at least partially to blame for putting the school into conservatorship in past years.

“The conservator cleaned up a lot of areas, but if we don’t put procedures in place, you’ll fall right back out of accreditation,” Richardson told trustees.

He gave the example of changes in registration policy noting that in the past, when a student registered the first time, it was accepted throughout the years. Now, according to Richardson, students have to register and provide proof of residency each year.

“Principals weren’t aware students  would have to be re-registered,” he said.

(Ironically, South Panola Superintendent Tim Wilder told the South Panola School District Board of Trustees two nights prior to the North Panola meeting that it’s almost a full-time job keeping up with policy changes while crediting two members of his staff for doing the job.)

Richardson indicated that he would be working with the State Department of Education to update and add additional policies prior to a policy audit and noted that students would have to be re-registered.

Trustees also approved employment resignations/retirements including Candance Armstrong and Kenneth Daugherty without discussion.

Trustees had used an executive session at a prior meeting to discuss a personnel matter confirmed by Daugherty to discuss his future. Daugherty had years from Georgia and Alabama to add to his retirement, he said outside a previous meeting, leading those sitting outside to believe he was retiring.

Trustees approved additional claims made since their previous meeting on the Monday prior to the Thursday night special meeting.