Candidate Q&A
Attala County School District
School Board Election 2022
Our public education questionnaire was offered to school board candidates in the November 8 school board elections. Search below for responses from board districts that have opposing candidates. Unopposed candidates are not included.
District 1
Wilson Jackson
DECEASED
Jefferey Perteet
WINNER
1. What has been your involvement with the community and school district? Describe your leadership and volunteerism in the community. Did you or your children attend school in the district? Have you volunteered in or been employed by the school district? My children attend McAdams High and I volunteer in the district. I am not employed by the district.
2. Why do you want to serve on your school board? I hope I can bring about better changes to the school district.
3. Students from low-income households often need additional resources to achieve academic success. What should your school district do to ensure that all students are successful? To prepare the students with the additional resources so they can achieve at a higher level in the education for the future, college and so forth.
4. What strategies would you support to create a safer school environment? What can your school district do to address cyberbullying, mental health, and physical safety? Providing more security around the schools so children and staff can be safe. Patrolling hallways inside of the schools.
5. What do you see as the most pressing infrastructure needs facing your district? Proper facilities needs and staff members that the children can depend on all of the time.
6. Mississippi school districts are funded by a mix of federal, state, and local funds. The state contributes to local school districts through the Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP). MAEP is intended to fund teacher salaries, retirement and benefits, transportation costs, facility maintenance and utilities, special education and other programs, but it is underfunded statewide this year by $279-million. What role will you play in advocating for full funding of MAEP for your district? Making sure that the schools get the funding it needs that is highly required benefits to support the district.
7. Vouchers for private school tuition and online schools divert public funds away from public schools. Do you agree that tax dollars should be used for only public schools and not for non-public schools? Why or why not? Only public schools, for better education of our public school children.
8. In Mississippi, academic standards are set by the Mississippi Department of Education and local districts choose curricula from an MDE approved list. Do you trust educators in your district to teach using their professional judgement and training or should teaching be further regulated by school board policy or law? If you believe teaching should be further regulated, how so? Yes, so they can limit on teaching and using their professional judgement and policy regulated by the school board of the district and a better judgement on the academic standards.
9. Mississippi is experiencing a severe teacher shortage. What strategies will you support to recruit and retain high quality educators? By giving them yearly raises, to show they’re well wanted and being well supported.
District 2
Frankie Boyd Blackmon
NO RESPONSE
Cody Wittington
WINNER
NO RESPONSE
