Jackson Jambalaya

Oh that's nice.

We need to open a prestigious institution of education near the beautiful Ross Barnett Reservoir called Rez Prep. I think this will be a wonderful addition to Mississippi’s legacy of higher learning.

Anyone know what First Presbyterian Day School feels about this?

Was only a matter of time.

Prep declares war on the school that has been its primary feeder for decades.

So much for character.

Hartfield has been kicking the Prep butt.

Heard the PRVWA is ready and willing to accept any cash bids....or just cash will do...wish someone would dig into the Lost Rabbit deal and who profited vs relation to any board member.

Per the announcement Prep and first press had positive communication together about the expansion.

I have always wondered why they had not opened an elementary campus. I guess they saw the $$$ at JA and St. Andrews and figured they should finally join the group.

This is a serious question for the private school parents out there. Are they really worth it? Why should I choose one over Madison Central?

Prep trying to stay relevant with Hartfield down road.

2:26 I went to Prep's website and all it says is that Prep and First Pres Day School had conversations and the communications were "positive."

Prep: We are opening a new school to directly compete with you.

First Pres: What?! We have hand delivered to you thousands of students.

Prep: Since your pastor will not publicly denounce our treachery, that is a positive for us!

12/8/21 @ 2.29 PM

Question:

This is a serious question for the private school parents out there. Are they really worth it? Why should I choose one over Madison Central?

Answer:

I live in Hinds County.

@1:40 pm. Who cares?

Many parent feel it's location has gotten exponentially more dangerous. Call it what you will, but "Jackson issues" most likely motivated this expansion.

Since it’s probably 70% the same families that go to FP then JP, it’s hard to see a model for both. Would have loved to hear those “positive” discussions.

Of course they are. They just got their ass handed to them in football. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Look for JA to start a head start program next.

They should have acquired First Pres, then immediately moved it to Lakeland. Less competition that way.

Rumor has it that Prep went to FPDS to talk merger/partnership and it was shot down. What a shocker since their headmaster send his kids to MRA and makes no secret about his support for them.

This whole thing is on the FPDS Board for hiring a headmaster who is a former administrator at MRA. What’d they think was gonna happen?

Hartfield?

Did the Ed Center open as Hartfield?

2:29, I moved hear about 12 years ago. I thought about Madison Central but though it preferable to go the private school route. The education level seemed significantly better to bear the expense. I am glad my child graduated from Prep. It was worth the money. The expectations are higher and the students rise to the expected level.
Having said this, I am not trashing MC at all. I know kids from there have done well.
If you want the best education, go with St. Andrews but prepare for a different end result. The child must be a serious student. Prep is more well-rounded. Heavy emphasis on sports and other extracurricula activities.
I am sure JA is a good school. In fact, I suspect it has improved since I moved here, but it seemed too focused on beating Prep in sports. That turned me off. Perhaps the attitude has improved.
Best wishes. If you child goes to any of these schools (including St. Richard Catholic). he or she will likely be ahead of all the public school kids in college.

There were several in the presbytery that tried to get the "mother" church to take over the school from UCS before Six Flags over Jesus took control. The powerbrokers said, NEVER!! as it would compete with the beloved Flowood Technical Institute. C'est la vie.

Why would they do this considering the excellent schools within JPS?

2:29 Are you serious?

Prep and First Prez have had ongoing discussions for several years regarding this issue. First Prez isn't the feeder school is used to be. More First Prez grads move on to other schools than than in years past. If you want to survive, you need to increase your student population and offerings. Nothing personal, it's just business.

At least this article gave some great insight to who comes here to comment. I kinda felt out of place....now I know it. This public school poor boy should prolly move on.

One of the most interesting things is seeing the larger private schools, Prep, JA, MRA, and now Hartfield, all but turn in to the very thing so many moved their kids away from. The arrogance, pettiness, bullying, and school worship is worse than I've ever seen.
Smaller schools like Canton Academy, Tri County Academy, and a few others are seeing population increases from families that see the larger mentioned schools become more like the public schools, from a social aspect.
It's as if sending your child to a private school is more about your social media posts than the child getting a good high school education.
Sad really.

2:10 there's a lot more to Prep than football.

Nothing personal, it's just business.--Michael Corleone

Prep just took a freezing cold shower and stepped out of it and do not like what they see in the mirror, which is not much!

MRA has been laying the wood to them recently and JA has not been much of a factor splitting the sporting contests, and let's be clear-this is absolutely what this boils down to. Their enrollment is shrinking (reference to cold shower) they are probably having a hard time making budget, if I had to guess, or are close to not making it, and their lofty image and opinion of themselves is close to crumbling.

The cherry on top are the new kids on the block, run by former Prep teacher and coach David Horner, just beat them TWICE in the first ever meeting in football. Once in the regular season and again in the playoffs to go to the state championship game. To boot, prep sent themselves a funeral spray and had the card read as if it was sent from Hartfield to "Fire up" the boys and they proceeded to get bitch slapped again. This is truly such rich theater for any Jacksonian that has disdain for the elitist Prep bunch you come across at the Country Club, Junior League, Opera, Wine Tastings or tailgates in the Grove. You know the kind, the ones that snicker at the notion that any school could compete with likes of their beloved Prep Patriots.

Look at where many former Prep grads are today with their kids, MRA, Hartfield and JA. The Ricky Black debacle is the Karma Cafe for what has unfolded. It is being served up in spades. For the record, I went to Prep. Screw them! So glad I do not have kids in elementary or high school.

Yes, they had conversations with everyone wanting to "join" forces and merge with Prep. NO TAKERS, it is a sinking ship, get a life jacket. Prep is a good academic school, maybe they should look toward St. Andrews and try to compete with them.

You ever notice, when pulling out north onto Lakeland from one of several roads near Prep and River Oaks....the millions they spend on the ball fields just to make a favorable impression on the motoring public? It's ONE HUNDRED PERCENT marketing.

The subliminal message, clearly, is "You know you want your little angels here now so in a few short years they can be Pikes and Chi-Os at Ole Miss!"

I am waiting and watching for one of these Ivy Leaguers to begin a Special Needs class. There are plenty of families with means that need a class for autistic, learning disabled and other precious little ones that need a little more help. Public schools are full. What about it Prep, JA, MRA, St. Andrews, First Prez or Hartfield??

Wonder if this where their $1.5M PPP money is going to. We’ve all been wondering why they received the paycheck protection money, when all tuition was still being collected on time during that time period. There was no shortage of cash for teachers’ paycheck and the parents did not get a tuition break, so now we know or do we?

Calling Shad White to follow the money.

Well there was a great school in the metro for special needs kids but I think we all know what happened there. You must not read the news very much 5:10.

Wasn’t Lamar Adam’s a big MRA guy?

As to criticisms about private schools, at least they’re not public.
Signed, former public school advocate and board attorney, who finds no joy in seeing kids suffering under the weight of teachers unions.

Rich people problems. Gotta love it when all of you know it alls have such dumb ass opinions. It’s all about the image on the front windshield and back window. The education is not really much different, but the relationship within the elites. You know, the fraternity and patting each other on the back. The star athletes are given free tuition and they become immediate life long family members.

It’s also comforting knowing you don’t have to worry about CRT ever being taught.

Hartfield is a flash in the pan. Prep will crush them like they do everybody. Except MRA. They won’t get that genie back in the bottle. JA will be the odd man out.

Don’t drag Ricky Blacks name into this. He is a fine man and outstanding coach. Prep is getting what they deserve for running him off. I’d love to see him at Hartfield. Hell, Hartfield beat Prep this year with a guy who has never won anywhere, imagine what they could do with Coach Black.

7:34 a lot of the time, in business, it’s not what you know, but who you know. The truth hurts sometimes. And no amount of trying to even the playing field will ever trump(no pun intended) that. I have a successful career and have not ever shown my diploma once. Relationships are the crux of business.

Lawrence Coco, the current JP head of school is a hand-picked lackey selected by a completely unaccountable board of trustees.

In his brief tenure, Coco has single-handedly driven enrollment at Prep to dismal levels, lost critical market share to neighboring schools (watching contentedly as they build strength and numbers), and presided over the erosion of a once great athletic presence in the MSAIS. He doesn’t appear to fundraise and few serious-minded people view him as a academic leader. Not sure what “game” he brings to the role.

He didn’t usher in all this good fortune at Prep by himself, though. He is assisted day in and day out by one of the most inept, unimpressive, and lazy administrative teams working in private schools. Yes. All of them.

How far down the dashboard dials do the needles need to sink to jolt everyone awake at Prep? Signs of institutional health are not good. It doesn’t appear that anyone knows what they’re doing.

If there is declining public confidence in Prep’s ability to deliver for families with children in grades 6-12, why would anyone get excited about or have confidence in Prep’s ability to deliver on an elementary experience - an area where they have no track record?

Hey everybody: line up over here to pay tuition for Prep to learn-as-they-go on you elementary age school children.

Dang.... All the MRA and Hartfield parents are mad......

FPDS is a shell of its former self under Herring. The school has replaced wise, credentialed, long time educators with young Junior League wannabes. FPDS kids arent doing as well at Prep as they once did.

Coco needs to go go

There are no unions in the schools in Mississippi -- public or private.

The Prep Board would scoff at the notion, but they need training in Board governance.

To the comment about Fpds kids aren’t doing as well at prep anymore.. may need to check your facts as I have done since I will have a child leaving Fpds soon. Out of the 8 students on the top tier honor roll (the head masters list) at prep last 9 weeks 6 of those kids went through first pres. In case you are unfamiliar with the top tier, they have to have a 95 or above on every grade they make in each of their classes. Out of the next tier (the faculty list) which is 95 combined average 58% went through Fpds and the next tier (students list) the kids have a 90-94 average, 72% of the honor roll was fpds. So I’m not sure how you can say kids from FPDS aren’t doing well. I’ve also researched the national merit finalists that each of the surrounding schools have each year. Prep and St. Andrew’s have the most. Now I’m not sure where all of those kids were in the elementary years. I’m still researching where to send my child when they leave fpds. I know I don’t want it to be easy for him. I want him to be challenged. Is Fpds perfect? No. Neither is Hartfield, Ja, Mra.. But let’s be real.. there’s no perfect school.

We should all welcome this move. Prep will do a good job with elementary students.

If other schools suffer- that’s the market! Get with it or shut down…

You know what's funny to me are these comments about "little angels". "social media posts", on and on essentially bashing private school education. Let me help you understand......

a lot and I do mean a lot, of these public schools have crappy ratings and deliver an inferior education in comparison to the big-name private schools. I have a 7-year-old and cannot personally afford private school, but we live in a decent district and I think he will do ok......I would gladly send him to prep, JA, or any of them if I could. Why? Because I love my child. It has nothing to do with a social media post or football, I would like him to be able to read fluently, do trigonometry when he graduates and not end up a gang leader.

Lovely. Now it will take 2 hours to drive 6 miles instead of one. I hate LL Drive from 55 to Dogwood with a passion. 2, maybe 3, of those lights are beyond ridiculous, esp on say a Sunday morning or a holiday when there are maybe 2 cars on the road and you get the damn red light where zero traffic comes from the south bc it’s all closed and run down and there’s maybe one vehicle in a blue moon coming from a couple sketchy establishments to the north. I literally go 11 miles out of the way to take Flowood Drive just to avoid the 28 some odd red lights. I can’t for the life of me come up with any solution or relief in sight. This will only make it worse.

@7:19
I hear you. We are all just doing the best we can by our kids. I put my kids through private school here because we live in Hinds County - and our experience was fine. But honestly, if I had it to do over, I would probably do exactly what you are doing - move to a decent school district and support public education. I am certain my kids would be prepared just fine for college and for life and would have less of a sense of entitlement and arrogance that sometimes comes with the private school BS which is on full display in this thread.

What’s the average ACT @ Prep?? Anybody know where I could find it ?

Now that the cords have officially been cut, First Pres can move forward in their commitment to providing quality, Christ-centered, biblical education. It could be a blessing in disguise for First Pres. For those struggling to make a decision between the two schools, if you want a quality, Christ-centered, biblical education for your kids send them to First Pres. If you don’t care about the Christ-centered, biblical part your kids can still get a quality education at First Pres and I am sure a quality education at Jackson Prep Elementary as well. Here is a part of the First Pres Mission Statement:

Believing that children are a heritage of the Lord, the mission of First Presbyterian Day School is:
Planting seeds of Christlikeness in the hearts of children;
Pursuing excellence in academics;
Preparing students for future service in God’s kingdom in their homes, churches, and professions.

The underlying problem hasn't been mentioned once- Mississippi's brain drain. The State keeps educating college graduates who have to move out of the State to find a decent career in his or her field.

8:49 am, Go to the prep website and click on the announcement for the Elem addition. Along with act scores they have sat, psat, and average grades for the class of 2021.

I thought Mrs. Boone was the new head of school at Prep.

Those who don't want a Christian education, send your kids to Prep. That's exactly what you will get.

All of NE Jackson is talking about this and Ole miss football

My only goal is a quality education. Christ has nothing to do with it.

Another factor in the decision may be that Christ Covenant is opening a high school and some of those kids will no longer transfer to Prep. A declining 9-12 enrollment would have a big financial impact on operations.

To the person that said private school kids do better in college than those at Madison Central, please refer to the number of National Merit Finalists that MC has every year. Also, the children that attend the universities in our state and elsewhere are competing just fine. Please feel free to share any data you have that disputes this.

That’s all fine and good.. but it’s the same group of people trying to support both schools.

The following was sent out from FPDS Head of School yesterday:

"Good afternoon, friends. This morning, Jackson Prep announced that they will be implementing an elementary school, which will begin in the 2023-24 school year. Enclosed is the link to the announcement video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qu39b9KHrGQ I’m sharing this with you to keep you informed.

For 56 years, families have chosen First Presbyterian Day School because they wanted an exemplary Christian education opportunity for their children. That has not changed. Families have chosen First Presbyterian Day School because they wanted Christian teachers equipping their children to be great academically, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. That has not changed. Families have chosen First Presbyterian Day school because they wanted their children prepared to be their best once they leave here. That has not changed.

Today’s announcement does not change what takes place within these walls every day. How blessed we are that God has chosen us and FPDS to prepare hearts and minds for His service. Our mission remains the same. I’m proud to serve with you in carrying the best Christian education available to our students every day."

Prep stabbing FPPDS in the back after all these years is disappointing.
I guess Coco sees this as his hail mary to expand enrollment in light of Hartfeild competition and demographic shifts to Madison Co.

Coco has been disappointing.

7:09, who claims to be an attorney, bemoans the existence of 'teachers unions' while certainly knowing there is not one in Mississippi.

A prior school board attorney in Mississippi who actually thinks we have teachers' unions in this state?

"...kids suffering under the weight of teachers unions." One example please.

Everything else in this discussion aside...That guy is a danger to education in this state.

How comical having finished reading the first 53 comments, most of them blowing smoke up each others you-know-what.

There's one school in the area that has over 21 National Merit Semifinalists PLUS 10 Commended Scholars this year. Take a guess? Prep?... JA?.. St A?...

... .... ............... Nope. none of them.

The puffery of Hartfield as some sort of elite private is pure comedy.

21 national merit finalists out of 350 kids is 6% in an area with the highest per capita income in the state.
Prep had 8 with probably a third of the enrollment
St. Andrews smokes everyone with 10, which is 17% of their enrollment

Nice try with your “comical” logic

68 comments so far. Wow.

My child went to SA from PK to 8th then left due to inadequate science and math classes which was confirmed by head master in exit interview. Went on to Prep where the curriculum was more advanced!! The move was well worth it and student didn't have to be harass due to color and financial background as was demonstrated at SA

Great for Prep and best wishes

The folks who are bragging about the total number of National merit finalists the big box schools have, not as a per capita figure, are even more reason not go to the pubs. It hurts my head that someone tries to compare a class of 350 to a class of 100 straight up.

71 comments so far. Building a new school wouldn't seem to be that big of a deal.

12:02 & 12:38 .. comments coming from the 15% minority in Jackson propping each other up.

Okay, we see where the small numbers are supposed to be good... from the 15%.

The lack of critical thinking on display in the last few posts is stunning. How many trade school bound kids go to Prep and St. Andrews? How many kids going to Prep and St. Andrews will forgo college? How many Prep and St. Andrews plan only to go to junior college. I'm confident the answer is near zero for all of these questions. Not so for public schools.

Cut out the diploma termination students, junior college degree students and trade school kids from the total student population and Madison Central will compare favorably and many years exceed Prep and St. Andrews. Try comparing the number of college bound kids at each school and the comparisons will be far more accurate.

"It hurts my head that someone tries to compare a class of 350 to a class of 100 straight up."

Mine too. It's a dead giveaway that commenter went to public school.

Former public school advocate here. Yes, I know teachers unions are not here. They’re not needed. The national union controls the “message” including dumping more money into a broken system, keeping admin costs high and fighting school choice advocates.
Their tentacles are everywhere. Ask your superintendent his/her thoughts on merit pay, school choice, etc and you’ll think you’re listening to a union rep.

Brilliant 3:29. So all we have to do is remove all the kids at one school who can’t hack it academically, then the schools are even! Ever thought that some students get lost and behind because there are 350 students in one grade all stuck under government bureaucracy.

St Joe is the highest ranked nationally…go figure ???

8 Helpful Tings Jackson Prep Could Have Done Before Launching An Elementary School

1. Send Coco back to the starving law practice he came from. He’s over his head in the school business and surely battles persistant feelings of inadequacy in the role. It will also probably be a welcome relief to his wife to no longer have to serve as the F.L.O.P. - First Lady of Prep.
2. Hire a well-seasoned, appropriately credentialed head of school who has the know how and ability to compete locally.
3. Consider replacing some of the tired roster of has-beens you call an administrative staff. Nearly everyone at the top of the org chart only has school experience at Prep. That’s a problem. Those inbred stoopervisors need consistent exposure to outside thinking, because they are stuck on rinse and repeat.
4. Do a better job of recruiting students for the grades you already serve. The days of waiting for people to knock on the door and ask Prep’s permission to come in are over. You have to make an effort. You can’t put forward a part-time, half-hearted admissions effort and expect to succeed.
5. Focus on genuinely improving your programs (academic, athletic, and co-curricular) so that families can SEE a difference in what you offer versus other schools who are more affordable. I know you think the Prep difference is SO HUGE and it is SO OBVIOUS. Stop deceiving yourself. It’s really not.
6. Focus on improving the satisfaction of your students and families and hone in on the areas where the Prep experience isn’t meeting expectations. And, there are definitely some of those areas. You have to ask, though, and be willing to address things that are under your control.
7. Prep loves to build and renovate things with other people’s money. Put a moratorium on new construction and renovations until you stabilize. Scale back and just do deferred maintenance for a stretch. News flash: your enrollment is falling and you are taking down substantial federal dollars. Stop renovating the house; the house is on fire.
8. Give the Prep board of trustees an enema. Then when you get finished, do it again. Real good. It needs a MAJOR flushing out. Far too many members serve consecutive terms, sit out one year, and then rotate right back on. It has become an echo chamber of stale ideas that has the school engaged in strategically perilous ventures - like starting an elementary school. Side note: the Prep board is dominated by a small and frequently overreaching executive committee. If you are on the Prep board and you aren’t an officer, you are largely inconsequential.

All these comments and no one has mentioned the giant expansion FPDS just undertook.

All this fuss about kids who will just graduate from high school and college and get a job in Mississippi that pays an average of $55,000 to $70,000 a year.

So how may out of your class of 100 are there? Okay, not 21… 15?… 10… 5?…. Let’s see your proportionate numbers? See if your math is credible. And who doesn’t get the math here? Ha

I suppose if these 'small' classes of 100 could grow themselves to 350, they could possibly achieve 21 also?

It could happen.

"All this fuss about kids who will just graduate from high school and college and get a job in Mississippi that pays an average of $55,000 to $70,000 a year."

Negative. They are all moving to Nashville, DFW, Atlanta, Birmingham, Memphis etc. to find those types of jobs.

You zip code gangsters are having a field day in here. I understand not wanting to send your kids to JPS. But for those that live in better districts, is the $15-20k per year really worth it?

Kudos to 9:10.
At it's zenith, Prep three administrators: Jesse Howell as Headmaster and a principal over the senior high and one for the junior high. Now Prep has a army of administrators including an Executive Director of Diversity.

With that many administrators you know the focus in no longer on the classroom.

12:29 Many colleges and universities attach a number to the quality of the high school. That number is based on how many students from that high school have been accepted and done well and graduated at the college or university.

I lived in Madison when I first moved here and the schools were even then, among the best in Mississippi public schools. However, their ranking was low for out of state colleges and universities using a formula as part of their acceptance process.

It's why I moved to Hinds County so I wouldn't face long drives to my children's school.

The rankings may have changed but you should ask " how are students measured for acceptance?" at any college and university your student may want to attend and certainly choose that high school. A very few points can make a difference in acceptance or " wait list".

And, so make sure ALL test scores and grades are received by the college or university and properly considered no matter the high school. If they get the PSAT score and not an SAT and that is considered, that can be a killer.

Acceptance is far more competitive that it used to be.

9:46- Absolutely. We have invested in our kids education and it’s paying dividends.

In addition to having a great learning experience at a private school, our kids had the opportunity to play sports, be involved in theater and graduate with an education where they excelled in college. They were prepared to enter competitive, out of state schools where they received large scholarships. In addition, they went to high school being able to learn, and not have to deal with disruptive behavior issues.

While I was never a fan of the “cliques” of snobs at the schools, our kids were able to stand out and move on to success.

And no, they will not be returning to MS after they complete their post-graduate studies.

Send your kid where you want to. Send your kid where you can.

Then mind your own business.

Wasn't Coco on the Prep board and executive committee before he took the lead?

2:34 - Yeah. CAUTIONARY TALE FOR ANYONE LISTENING: Anytime an independent school board of trustees installs "one of their own" as the CEO and that person has no formal credentials in the field of education, that is reason for all parties to worry. Prep is an object lesson in board meddling. He was on the board and its executive committee, rotated out one year and then Prep came knocking. Coco would love everyone to believe he stepped away from a thriving practice and was SO SURPRISED and flattered to be approached. Truth is he was a struggling lawyer and lept at the opportunity to abandon the practice of law. He never prospered as much as a lawyer as he has in the field of education, which should let you know how bad he was at law. And right now he is wrecking Prep. It is full on amateur hour over there. Word is he was selected for his servile qualities. He is obedient to the board and gets treated like a doormat by his senior staff. Ironic for a school that parrots the importance of LEADERSHIP so much. Their no.1 exhibits pretty poor leadership qualities.

3:59 - I shot down your 'teacher union' bullshit and now you come back with some lame claim about national unions influencing public school education in this state. As I said earlier, you are a danger to public school education in this state. I'm not sure you even have walking-around sense.

Assuming you will disagree, please list two or three (or one) national union policy that has affected public schools in this state. I'll wait.

10:23 - You said, "It's why I moved to Hinds County so I wouldn't face long drives to my children's school."

You failed to tell us where they were enrolled. I will guarantee if you had them at a Jackson private school, a long Madison drive is much quicker and less frustrating than fighting Lakeland or getting to and away from JA.

And you really expect anybody to believe you considered how students 'are measured for acceptance' in your decision?

WOW, 11:29 - Will each of them be getting a new BMW and jewelry for Christmas? It's essential that they 'stand out' and 'move on to success', ya know.

Don't be surprised if one of them changes majors to 'turf management' and winds up working at the Canton Country Club, driving a six year old F-150 with logo.

11:54 sounds jealous that someone can send their kids to a private school and provide them a top-notch education.

If they can get them a BMW and expense gifts on top of that, even better.

While other kids are bettering themselves and getting a fantastic career going it sounds like you are posting from the Sonic parking lot during your 20 min break.

Enjoy you holidays.