Former school board members challenge Hawaii Conference trip

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — Two former Vicksburg Warren School Board members, Sally Bullard and Jan Daigre, addressed concerns regarding out-of-state travel—specifically the upcoming National Career Academy Coalition (NCAC) Annual Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii, this October—during last night’s school board meeting.

Below are Bullard’s comments in their entirety:

“Thank you to the board and superintendent for allowing us to appear tonight. As former board members, Jan [Daigre] and I are here in opposition to the board’s vote to travel to Hawaii. Choosing an expensive conference destination like Hawaii sends a message of ambivalence.

Your fiscal responsibility to our district should have sent up a big red flag when this was even put on the board docket. As former board members, we received the required hours of continuing education without out-of-state travel. Whether anyone likes to voice it or not, Warren County is a poverty district. We have homeless children. Children with food insecurities. And our district and community will feel the cuts to benefits for those most in need. Our kids and families will feel the cuts to SNAP, furthering their food insecurities.

Parents and kids in our schools spend hours selling candy, cookie dough, washing cars, etc., for them to participate in sports, choir, drama, band, and cheer. Would the board go door to door to raise money for their out-of-state travel?

I know this is a thankless position and terribly underpaid. But when we have board members spending tens of thousands of dollars for travel to conferences or commenting on traveling the world, we believe you are out of touch.

Couldn’t the board use this money to fund a food backpack program?

To stock uniform closets?

What about passing a policy to limit the dollar amount the board can be reimbursed yearly?

Not to travel at the pleasure of the district. Thank you.”

After Bullard’s comments, Daigre echoed her concerns.

“We know that this is a thankless job, and we appreciate the work that you do, but I think it was important enough—we were concerned enough—that we needed to address this,” said Daigre.

District 5 school board trustee Joe Loviza thanked them for having the courage to speak up.

“I appreciate you waiting an hour and a half to speak,” said Loviza. “I appreciate the fact you had enough courage to make a stand. A lot of people agree with you in Vicksburg.”