WOODVILLE &045;&045; A small percentage of students have accounted for most of the disciplinary problems at William Winans Middle School in Centreville, according to WWMS Principal Robert Williams.

Williams was one of five school administrators from the Wilkinson County School District who delivered status reports to school board members at their regular meeting on Wednesday.

Though several fights occurred among students at WWMS when the school opened last fall, the problem had subsided until last week, Williams said.

&uot;We didn’t have a fight for 15 weeks. Then last week we had another fight,&uot; Williams said.

But Williams said only a few students have been involved in most of incidents.

&uot;There’s only about five percent of the kids who are causing the problems,&uot; Williams said.

Williams said he is working to help parents and children from Woodville and Centreville understand the middle school concept and develop a sense of unity.

Williams said despite the discipline problems, the number of honor roll students at WWMS increased during the second nine weeks of the fall semester.

&uot;We’re not where we want to be yet, but we’re working toward those ends,&uot; Williams said.

Wilkinson County Sheriff’s Deputy L.C. Clark also works with school officials to maintain security on campuses and agrees that a small number of students have caused most of the problems at WWMS.

Still, Clark said the district should consider hiring a security officer to monitor student activity at WWMS.

&uot;To keep this school district out of a legal bind, we need a security officer there. Some of these kids are afraid to go to school there,&uot; Clark said.

But Wilkinson County School Superintendent Mildred McGhee said hiring extra security personnel would not eliminate all fighting on school campuses.

&uot;We have to teach children why they are in school. They don’t fight on the streets, so why should they fight when they come to school?&uot; she said.

Board members suggested suspension or expulsion for students who continue to cause disciplinary problems. The board also discussed opening an alternative program for older students who have failed to earn promotion, but took no formal action.

In another matter, McGhee informed the board that recently-hired business manager Ethyl Louise Grissom had resigned her position. The board hired Crosby resident and Alcorn State University accounting graduate Tremel Bates to fill the vacancy. The board also agreed to hire former business manager Audrey Veal on a part-time basis to train Bates in the position.

The board also accepted the high bid of $313,668 from Weyerhaeuser Company for the purchase of 110 acres of pine timber on Section 30, Township 1 North, Range 1 East south of Centreville.