Arts school could become arm of USM

Published 5:00 am Friday, September 10, 2004

JACKSON – Backers say a proposal presented Thursday to theMississippi Board of Education could allow the Mississippi Schoolof the Arts to become part of the University of SouthernMississippi, thus stabilizing the art school’s future.

The school would remain in its current capacity as an arts highschool for juniors and seniors and funded by the Department ofEducation but would be managed both instructionally andadministratively by USM. A similar arrangement exists between theMississippi School for Mathematics and Science and MississippiUniversity for Women in Columbus.

State trustees made no decision during Thursday’s monthlymeeting but agreed to meet later for a more detailed analysis ofthe proposal.

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A delegation lead by Rep. Jim Barnett and Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith,along with Senate Education Committee Chairman Mike Chaney,R-Vicksburg, USM President Dr. Shelby Thames and otherrepresentatives of the university made the pitch to the board.

While few details of how the arrangement would work werediscussed, Thames assured the board that the instructionalexpertise USM could bring to the table, as well as administrativecost savings, could allow the arts school a more secure future.

“We have a full complement of expertise from USM’s own artsprogram from which we can draw,” Thames told the board.

However, Thames said proper funding of the school would still benecessary, as the university would not be in a position to fund theschool.

“We bring excellence in the arts, help in administration, but wedo not bring lots of money,” he said.

Chaney asked the board to seriously consider the proposal andpledged his full support to keep the school open.

“We have several options,” Chaney said. “One of which would beto turn this into a charter school, we could close the school or wecan look at this proposal.

“What USM brings is a unique arts program capable of bringing ininstructors, practice teachers, a summer performing arts programand more,” the senator said.

Chaney reminded the board that funding was going to be extremelytight in 2005. He suggested the Legislature might look morefavorably on funding the school if it were under the control ofUSM.

“I am committed, as chairman of the Senate Education Committee,to keep this school open,” he told the group.

The senator also added a warning.

“We are going to need a lot of prayer on where we are going inthis state with funding for education,” he said.

The arts school is in its second year of operation and isstruggling with a reduced budget of $1.8 million. The budget wasdown approximately $1 million, despite almost doubling the school’senrollment with the addition of a new junior class.

Earlier in the summer, MSA received a reprieve of sorts when thestate board of education voted to allow the school to add thejunior class for the current year. The board had previouslydiscussed refusing to allow enrollment of the new junior class,which would have effectively closed the school after this year.

Despite its overwhelming approval by the Legislature in 1999,when the legislation was passed to create the $30 million artsschool, revenue shortfalls and budget cuts have cooled thereception of the school among legislators. Some have openly opposedkeeping the school doors open.