Mississippi Business Journal » school district

School officials struggle with overcrowded classrooms

Associated Press — Fri, 03 May 2013 00:00:06 +0000

HERNANDO — DeSoto County school officials will not move students around the district this fall but will find some way to use existing buildings to deal with a growing enrollment. With more than 30,000 students in more than 40 schools across the county, DeSoto County Schools is Mississippi’s largest public district. Crowding has been a [...]

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Automaker makes half-million-dollar donation to schools

Associated Press — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:18:10 +0000

CANTON — Canton school officials say a gift from Nissan North America will be used to help at-risk students. Superintendent Dwight Luckett tells The Clarion-Ledger the district will hire specialists to work one-on-one or in small groups with students to help them catch up to grade level in reading, language arts and math. The $500,000 [...]

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Board adopts new school rating system, factors in graduates

Associated Press — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:54:00 +0000

ACROSS MISSISSIPPI — The state Board of Education has approved a new school rating system. The system for the 2012-2013 school year adds graduation rates to the calculation of A-to-F grades for high schools and school districts. The board also opened a proposal for a future system to evaluate schools and districts for public comment, [...]

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Judge orders school consolidation, district expects to save money

Associated Press — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 15:06:18 +0000

ACKERMAN — A federal judge has ordered Choctaw County to consolidate all seventh through 12th graders at Ackerman High School while leaving grades K through 8 at schools in Ackerman, Weir and French Camp. WCBI-TV in Columbus reports the order was issued by U.S. District Judge Glenn Davidson. The Choctaw County School Board had drawn [...]

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House says no to appointed school superintendents

Associated Press — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 11:54:33 +0000

JACKSON — Many significant education reforms are sailing toward final passage in the Mississippi Legislature, but one long-sought goal appears to have foundered. House members yesterday voted 66-52 to reject a plan that could have forced the appointment of currently elected superintendents in 21 districts statewide. Senate Bill 2199 had called for elected superintendents in [...]

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School district finishes assessment of tornado damage

Associated Press — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 12:59:52 +0000

HATTIESBURG — Estimates are in on the dollar amount of the damage done to Hattiesburg Public School District property by the Feb. 10 tornado. Willie Burton, the district’s director of buildings and grounds, tells the Hattiesburg American it’s between $5 million to $6 million for cleanup and rebuilding. The district’s transportation center, transportation office, driver training [...]

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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 [...]

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Bill passes allowing armed teachers, staff in public schools

Associated Press — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:02:10 +0000

JACKSON — House members want to steer the school safety debate back toward letting school districts arm teachers and employees. The House voted 70-46 to amend Senate Bill 2659 to allow school districts to decide to allow guns in schools. The Senate bill had included a proposal by Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves to help schools [...]

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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 [...]

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Superintendent wants vo-tech programs on central campus

Associated Press — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 13:25:40 +0000

COLUMBUS — Lowndes County Schools Superintendent Lynn Wright wants to locate all vocational-technical programs on a central campus. The Commercial Dispatch reports Wright told the board of supervisors this week that Lowndes County is one of a few school districts that do not have a centralized vocational center. “We have put some plans together to [...]

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