School Will Ask To Be Included In Water Rate Drop

Superintendent Honored By State Peers

By David Howell
Editor

WATER VALLEY – An industrial water rate rollback under consideration by Water Valley aldermen has attracted the attention of another large employer in Water Valley, the school district.

    “It may be worth asking about,” Water Valley School District board member Cayce Washington said during a brief school board meeting held last Thursday. His request comes after Water Valley Aldermen indicated during a Dec. 2 meeting that they could adopt a proposed amendment to the Water Resources Management Ordinance.

    If adopted, the amendment would return the rates for the industrial classification to the level they were before the increase aldermen approved nine months earlier in March.

    “We had to budget double,” Water Valley School District Business Manager Randy Perkins told school board members, referring to the March water rate increase.

    “We are a large employer,” Washington said, but added he was unsure whether the school district would be classified as an industrial customer.

    Washington’s request earned a nod from the board and superintendent Sammy Higdon said he would check with the city.

    Other business discussed in the brief meeting included:

    • Board members approved the last meeting’s minutes, and paid the bills for December.

    • Higdon showed a plaque he had received from the Mississippi Association of Educators for his dedication to education.

    • Goodwin noted that the district’s fuel bill for diesel has decreased.

    “This time it is considerably less,” Goodwin said about the cost to fill the school’s tank that feeds school buses. Goodwin said the current load cost the district $3,700, compared to the $5,200 price tag for the previous load.