Mississippi Business Journal » elementary education

Public comment sought for new school-rating plan

Associated Press — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 12:25:01 +0000

ACROSS MISSISSIPPI — Graduation rates will make a difference this year in how Mississippi high schools and school districts are rated. The state Board of Education is likely today to seek public comment on a plan to add four-year graduation rates to the numerical formula that rates high schools and school districts. The board is [...]

The post Public comment sought for new school-rating plan appeared first on Mississippi Business Journal.

Senate passes House’s education bill; includes charter schools

Associated Press — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:15:36 +0000

JACKSON — In their latest plan to improve Mississippi public schools, state senators are offering a compromise on requirements to become a teacher and doing away with a proposal to make it easier for the state to take over troubled schools. The Senate voted 28-23 to approve its version of House Bill 890. It includes [...]

The post Senate passes House’s education bill; includes charter schools appeared first on Mississippi Business Journal.

School district still challenged by tornado damage

Associated Press — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 16:34:16 +0000

HATTIESBURG — Hattiesburg Public School District officials still are finding damage from the Feb.10 tornado that struck Forrest and Lamar counties. The Hattiesburg American reports an assessment of the destruction at the transportation center has revealed 90 percent of the district’s vehicles were damaged. Superintendent James Bacchus said it is estimated there was about $80,000 in [...]

The post School district still challenged by tornado damage appeared first on Mississippi Business Journal.

Judge rejects Delta school district’s desegregation plan

Associated Press — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 12:50:40 +0000

CLEVELAND — A federal judge has rejected a desegregation plan submitted by the Cleveland School District that relied on creation of magnet programs to attract whites to schools that are predominately black. The Bolivar Commercial reports U.S. District Judge Glen H. Davidson’s ruling came this past week. In Cleveland, two middle schools and two high [...]

The post Judge rejects Delta school district’s desegregation plan appeared first on Mississippi Business Journal.

Education officials want emergency declaration in Oktibbeha County

MBJ Staff — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 11:31:28 +0000

OKTIBBEHA COUNTY — The Mississippi Board of Education (MBE) determined that an extreme emergency situation exists in the Oktibbeha County School District. Acting on a recommendation from the Mississippi Commission on School Accreditation, the MBE voted unanimously to ask Gov. Phil Bryant to declare a state of emergency for the school district. The Oktibbeha County [...]

The post Education officials want emergency declaration in Oktibbeha County appeared first on Mississippi Business Journal.

Schools get first report card under new rating system

Associated Press — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 12:35:15 +0000

ACROSS MISSISSIPPI — More school districts achieved higher grades in the first year of Mississippi’s new school rating system, thanks to increased test scores and the suspension of graduation rate requirements for higher-scoring districts. Districts and schools got letter grades for the first time today. Under a new law, the old seven-step system, running from [...]

The post Schools get first report card under new rating system appeared first on Mississippi Business Journal.

Public schools to ask for $320M increase to 2014 budget

Associated Press — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 15:15:55 +0000

JACKSON — Mississippi’s public school system will seek an additional $320 million for the 2014 budget year, according to figures released yesterday. Each year, the state Board of Education must compute the amount called for under the state’s kindergarten through grade 12 funding formula, called the Mississippi Adequate Education Program. Under the 1997 law that [...]

The post Public schools to ask for $320M increase to 2014 budget appeared first on Mississippi Business Journal.

Supreme Court refuses to reconsider Chevron/school tax case

Associated Press — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 15:15:31 +0000

JACKSON — The Mississippi Supreme Court yesterday declined to reconsider a ruling that a 2007 state law was unconstitutional in requiring the Pascagoula schools to share some tax dollars generated from Chevron facilities with other districts. The April ruling overturned a decision by a Jackson County judge who upheld the law. The law required property [...]

The post Supreme Court refuses to reconsider Chevron/school tax case appeared first on Mississippi Business Journal.

Schools to dip into reserves; won’t request tax increase

Associated Press — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 11:51:14 +0000

HATTIESBURG — The Forrest County School District will not request a millage increase for 2012-13, but will instead use money from its reserve fund to pay for extra expenses in its budget. The Hattiesburg American reports the school district’s budget for the upcoming school year is $24.9 million, up from last year’s budget of $23.9 [...]

The post Schools to dip into reserves; won’t request tax increase appeared first on Mississippi Business Journal.

Justice asks for time to review schools’ desegregation request

Associated Press — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 14:33:31 +0000

CLEVELAND — The U.S. Department of Justice has asked a judge for more time to respond to the Cleveland School District’s plan to desegregate two local schools. The school district is not opposing the request. The school district filed a proposal in May with the federal court to desegregate the East Side High School and [...]

The post Justice asks for time to review schools’ desegregation request appeared first on Mississippi Business Journal.