MSA too important to close over budget crisis

Published 6:00 am Monday, March 21, 2005

“It is not our desire to close the school, and I hope we canfind a way to keep it open. But if the current Legislative BudgetCommittee recommendation … at the $800,000 level is approved,then we cannot keep the school open.”

– Dr. Henry Johnson, state superintendent ofeducation

A blunt statement was made to me Friday morning byMississippi’s top education official about the Mississippi Schoolof the Arts – a blunt statement that very well could be theprecursor to the ultimate fate of the struggling school and a bluntstatement that could bring the end to such a promising effort tonurture this state’s best and brightest.

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Dr. Johnson’s comments come following a presentation earlierthis week from House Appropriations Chairman Rep. Johnny Stringerto House members about the possible effects on state agencies ifthe proposed budget recommendations are approved. It is atroublesome list that foresees massive cuts across the board. Thefirst item on the Department of Education’s portion of the list isthe closing of the Mississippi School of the Arts

It’s not a solution Dr. Johnson says he is in favor of butone for which he sees no other alternative. The extreme shortfallin education funding this year leaves no room for juggling anyfunds, he says.

The Education Department requested $2.6 million for nextyear to fund the arts school. The LBC recommends $800,000. Lastyear, the school, with some very frugal living, made do with $1.8million along with a pledge of some $150,000 in rainy day fundsfrom the Art School Foundation – a fund that has yet to be tapped.Dr. Johnson told me if we could just get back to the $1.8 millionfigure, it might be possible to keep the doors open. You can do themath – we are $1 million short!

When I think back just a few years ago when the entirecampus was nothing more than a crumbling mass of bricks and mortarheld together with nothing more than overgrown vegetation, I amtruly amazed. Years of neglect had made the campus a historiceyesore.

I can remember clearly that July Fourth afternoon in thelate 1980s when a group of us gathered together to find a way tosave the Whitworth Campus. The Brookhaven Trust was born, and amighty effort was begun. I can remember the negative comments bysome who felt the buildings should be replaced with a parking lot.Much criticism was thrown the way of the Brookhaven Trust.

Sheer stubbornness, willpower and perseverance by adedicated group of people allowed Lampton Auditorium to be saved.At that point, the negative comments began to subside.

That same stubbornness and willpower engulfed a communityback in 1999 when the idea to create the Mississippi School of theArts was conceived. That enthusiasm grabbed the entire state aswell as the Legislature. In a few short months, an ideamaterialized into legislation and the signature of the late Gov.Kirk Fordice to establish the school.

I have written many times how the campus seemed to have aguardian angel in its ability to beat the odds of fire, termitesand gravity. While we thought the dark days were over for thecampus following the opening of the first class just 19 months ago,it appears our darkest cloud may be just over the horizon as thefate of the school is now in the hands of the tightest budgetcrunch this state has ever seen.

What the Mississippi School of the Arts needs now is a richuncle. Anyone know of one?

Community leaders are gathering Monday afternoon to try tofind a last-minute strategy. Maybe – just maybe – the grand oldlady of the Whitworth campus has one last trick up hersleeve.

Somehow, somewhere we have to find a solution to the artsschool’s funding woes – not just for Brookhaven and Lincoln Countybut for the entire state of Mississippi. The idea is too good andthe concept too sound to let the Mississippi School of the Artssuccumb to a budget shortfall.

Write to Bill Jacobs at P.O. Box 551, Brookhaven MS 39602,or send e-mail to bjacobs@dailyleader.com.