The defense of the Mississippi School of the Arts went statewideWednesday when a Brookhaven lawmaker rallied support for theinstitution on a popular radio program.

District 39 Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith flew the school’s flag onpolitical talk show “On Deadline with Sid Salter,” sharing storiesof academic success and fiscal responsibility to attack the wisdomof Gov. Haley Barbour’s recommendation the school be merged withits sister institution, the Mississippi School for Math andScience, in Columbus. Hyde-Smith’s on-air discussion was the lateststep in a growing local effort to debunk the governor’s logic thatmoving the school alongside MSMS at the campus of the MississippiUniversity for Women would save taxpayers $1 million.

“Wherever you move it, you’re going to have to spend money,” theBrookhaven Democrat said. “Where would the savings be if we didthat?”

Hyde-Smith shared facts not often mentioned in state circleswhen the MSA/MSMS merger idea is discussed, primarily that costlyconstruction and renovation projects would be necessary to houseand educate MSA’s 130 students on the MUW campus. Both MSMS and MUWofficials have said the campus does not have the necessaryacademic, residential and performance spaces arts students require,and vacant buildings intended for that purpose would require workto be brought up to speed.

The senator also explained the reverter clause in the propertydeed to the old Whitworth campus where MSA in situated in downtownBrookhaven, a small amendment that declares the property – whichwas built with $25 million in taxpayer investments – would revertto the city if not used for an arts school or similar purpose. Thegovernor promised to find a suitable use for the Whitworthproperty.

“A lot of people just weren’t aware of that. If you went off andleft it, you’d walk away from $25 million,” Hyde-Smith said.

Reading from Barbour’s executive budget recommendations, Salterbrought up the governor’s suggestion of moving the MississippiSchool for the Blind/Deaf to the Whitworth campus. He mentioned theschool currently occupies sought-after real estate in Jackson.

“There seems to be a larger agenda at play here,” Saltersaid.

Hyde-Smith deflected the suggestion by arguing the Whitworthcampus is not large enough for those institutions, but insteadrecommended they come to Brookhaven and occupy the grounds of theMississippi Adolescent Center, a mental health facility alsotargeted for closure in the governor’s budget proposal. Herproposal puts her at odds with the Mississippi Department of MentalHealth, which is forming its own defense of MAC and otherfacilities recommended for closure.

With other state agencies are demanding full funding, MSA isworking toward self-support to alleviate taxpayers’ burdens,Hyde-Smith said. She pointed out that new MSA Director SuzanneHirsch, a grant writer, has already secured $800,000 in federalgrant and foundation money for work at the school, and is workingon another $200,000 grant.

“You’ve got someone down there working, not just saying, ‘Giveme more money, give me more money,'” Hyde-Smith said.