The Biloxi school board wants feedback from all stakeholders in the search for a new superintendent to lead Biloxi Public Schools, and the board’s search consultant, the Mississippi School Boards Association, will facilitate three stakeholder meetings on Sept. 5.
The meetings are to gather input from specific groups regarding the qualifications and characteristics that the successful applicant for superintendent should possess.
The school board in June appointed longtime educator Dr. Larry Drawdy to serve as interim superintendent after Arthur McMillan announced his retirement at the end of May. Drawdy was at the helm of Biloxi Public Schools during its ambitious building program in the ’90s. He oversaw construction of a new high school, new elementary schools and improvements throughout the district.
In the upcoming meetings, MSBA consultants will meet with three groups to solicit feedback: 1) principals/department heads and district office staff; 2) teachers and all other staff members; 3) parents, business owners, and other community stakeholders.
The feedback from these meetings will be compiled into a written report to school board members, who will use the information to craft interview questions for the applicants whom they choose to interview and as a foundation in making the decision on who will be hired as the new superintendent.
The schedule for the Sept. 5 stakeholder meetings:
10 a.m.: Principals, department heads and Central Office staff gather in East Conference Room in the Biloxi Central Office
4:30 p.m.: Teachers and all other staff gather in auditorium at Biloxi Upper Elementary School
6 p.m.: Parents, business owners, and community stakeholders gather in auditorium at Biloxi Upper Elementary School
For those unable to attend the meetings, an online survey will also be available Sept. 6 through Sept 20 on the Biloxi Public Schools web site.
Visit the Biloxi Public Schools website
You’re invited to the Shrimp Bowl pep rally
Biloxi Indians football fans will have a chance to meet the coaches, players, cheerleaders and others during a Shrimp Bowl Community Pep Rally on Thursday, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Indian Stadium on the Biloxi High School campus.
The rally will include games and activities for youngsters, music and concessions. Also on hand, of course, will be the Biloxi Belles and the Biloxi High School Marching Band.
Biloxi faces Greene County in the Shrimp Bowl on Friday at 7 p.m. at Indian Stadium.
See a flyer for the pep rally
Video news and notes: Council, fire and democracy
Council meeting: Kim Fritz, whose Fritz Development is wrapping up work on the new downtown Biloxi mixed use building at Croesus and Jackson streets, updated progress at the outset of the City Council meeting Tuesday. To see the replay of the meeting on the city’s You Tube channel, click here. It also airs this evening at 8:30 on BTV.
Fire hire: The Biloxi Fire Department, with two new stations coming on line in FY 2020, is looking for qualified individuals to join the department’s ranks. In fact, a new 30-second video has been created as part of the hiring campaign. To see it, as published on the BFD’s Facebook page, click here.
Democracy: A new ’50s-style movie trailer is making the rounds on BTV and the city’s Facebook page, promoting a monthlong campaign coming to BTV in September. Get a taste of “Social Change in a Democracy” by clicking here.
