An incumbent and another political hopeful have qualified for school board seats that will appear on Tallahatchie County ballots Nov. 4.
Bryant A. Watson, 57, of 3998 Cascilla-Grenada Road Cascilla, is seeking reelection in Education District 10, a seat on the East Tallahatchie School District Board of Trustees to which he was first elected in the fall of 2020.
Rosie Mason Miller, 56, of 175 N. Laura St., Webb, has filed qualifying papers to seek the Education District 4 post on the West Tallahatchie School District Board of Trustees during a special election also set for Nov. 4.
With the entrance of Miller, the Ward 4 race now includes two candidates, including Sharon Elaine Bailey, 59, of Webb, who qualified recently.
Bailey previously held the ED4 seat for a five-year term that began in January 2020 and ended at the close of 2024.
She had filed qualifying papers last year to seek the office during a regularly scheduled election last fall. However, the Tallahatchie County Election Commission did not certify her as a candidate for the position, citing state law that bars a person from appearing on the ballot twice, for two different offices, in the same election.
Bailey also had qualified for a fall 2024 special election for District 2 constable, which she held on an appointed interim basis since the January 2024 death of her husband, longtime 2nd District Constable Clifton Bailey.
Constable is the office for which election commissioners certified her candidacy.
In the end, no one else filed qualifying papers for the Education District 4 election last fall, leading to this year’s special election for the position.
The qualifying deadline for the special election, as well as two other regularly scheduled school board elections — in Education District 5 and Education District 10 — is 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 21.
Education District 5 represents a seat on the West Tallahatchie school board presently held by Cora Hooper.
As of Monday, Neal said no one had filed qualifying papers for the ED5 seat.
Members of the East and West Tallahatchie school districts’ five-member boards of trustees serve staggered five-year terms, with one seat in each district coming up for election every fall.
According to Mississippi State University Extension, school boards have authority to regulate school district affairs, property and finances that are not subject to state law. They are responsible for curriculum, personnel, buildings and district policies.
There is no qualifying fee for school board, but candidates must file a Qualifying Statement of Intent and submit a petition with signatures of 50 registered voters within their education district.
Forms are available from the circuit clerk’s offices in Charles-ton (call 662-647-8758) and Sumner (call 662-375-8515).
