Incumbent Cassandra Palmer, left, and challenger Maggie Cooks, both candidates for the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District Board of Trustees, speak to roughly 15 people attending the candidate forum Wednesday hosted by Starkville Voices at the Greensboro Center. The candidates agreed largely on challenges facing the district but differed on whether the board has been transparent enough about the new Starkville High School construction. Emma McRae/Dispatch Staff STARKVILLE – Incumbent Cassandra Palmer wants voters to give her a second term on the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District Board of Trustees because the learning curve for the position can be steep. Cassandra Palmer “The first couple years, you’re learning a lot,” she said. “So it’s advantageous if you have a member who’s doing a good job to continue to keep them on the board because they know what to do.” Challenger Maggie Cooks is looking to change things up. Maggie Cooks “Sometimes we need a change,” she said. “There’s nothing wrong with change. My main goal is to make sure that no student is overlooked and no schools are left behind.” The candidates shared those perspectives Wednesday during a forum hosted by Starkville Voices at the Greensboro Center, where both discussed their motivations for running and what their plans are for the district if elected. The SOCSD board is made up of five members serving staggered five-year terms, two of which are elected positions. Only district residents of Oktibbeha County who live outside the city limits will be eligible to cast their ballot during the Nov. 3 general election. While Palmer, a first-term board member and licensed professional counselor, and Cooks, a retired SOCSD educator, agreed broadly on the challenges facing the district, including teacher retention, mental wellness of students and funding, the candidates split on the board’s approach to being transparent about the new Starkville High School construction. Palmer said the board has recently implemented several initiatives aimed at improving transparency around the project, including streaming board meetings, having a construction update in each meeting and the district’s SHS-focused webpage. But the board speaks through its policy and minutes, she said. “When it comes to speaking for the board, transparency, there are certain things that board members are allowed to talk about outside of board meetings, and there’s things that we aren’t,” Palmer said. “When you go to school board training, you learn that your policy and your board minutes really have to speak for the board. So that’s the first way for people to learn.” Certain matters, such as personnel and land acquisition, among others, are permitted to be discussed in executive session. However, votes on any matter taken by the public body must be announced publicly and published in the meeting’s minutes. Cooks said she believes the community feels the district hasn’t been forthcoming about the project, suggesting potential ways for board members and administrators to interact more closely with the public. “The Starkville community and the Mississippi State community, they want to know what’s going on. They want to be involved,” she said. “… But the public has the right to know all this that’s going on. You can do it through community meetings, surveys. People like to be heard.” Both candidates spoke to the importance of providing students with academic improvement opportunities and extracurricular activities. If elected, Cooks said her priority would be ensuring all students have equal access to technology, facilities and high-quality education, something she feels the district is not doing well. “Another challenge is ensuring that all schools and facilities are treated equally,” she said. “I’ve said this openly before, I don’t mind saying it again. We know each student is not going to get what they want. … But my big thing is to be fair. Whatever you do, be fair.” Palmer said student achievement has improved in the district, noting it received an A accountability rating from the Mississippi Department of Education for three consecutive years. Targeted initiatives, like providing specialized training for teachers of students with dyslexia, have also helped with academic improvement, she said. She also noted efforts to expand extracurricular opportunities for students, like the planned construction of a performing arts center at the new high school. “We know that if kids are involved in something, they’re more likely to stay in school and graduate, so extracurricular activities – both sports and other things – are very important,” she said. “We have expanded those and continue to.” When it comes to recruiting and retaining quality teachers for the district, Palmer said it can be a challenge, due in part to a high cost of living in Starkville. The district has collected input from teachers’ exit interviews and started targeted efforts to recruit more teachers of color to better reflect the student population. But retaining teachers really boils down to listening to them when they ask for support, she said. “I think the people that are involved in the trenches every day deserve a voice, and when we do that more with teachers, that will make a really big difference,” Palmer said. Cooks said more opportunities for advancement may keep more teachers in the district, especially those who have already made Starkville home. “You still have some people that’s going to be rooted into an area, and they’re just going to make it their home, and that’s what I wish we could do here,” she said. McRae is a general assignment and education reporter for The Dispatch. Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. 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