Monday, August 2, 2021

MDE: State of Emergency in Holmes Schools

The Mississippi Department of Education issued the following statement. 

The Commission on School Accreditation determined today an extreme emergency exists in the Holmes County Consolidated School District (HCCSD) that jeopardizes the safety, security, and educational interests of the children enrolled in the schools in the district. As a result, the Mississippi State Board of Education will consider on August 3 whether to ask Gov. Tate Reeves to declare a state of emergency in the district.

The HCCSD is in violation of 26 of the 32 accreditation standards that all Mississippi public school districts are required to meet. The violations are documented in the On-Site Investigative Audit of Holmes County Consolidated School District, which the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) conducted after the district reported severe financial issues. The MDE conducted the full investigative audit of all schools in HCCSD from April 27, 2021 – July 23, 2021. The MDE conducted the full investigative audit because historically, districts that have faced serious financial issues have also had numerous accreditation violations.

MDE appointed a financial adviser for the district on April 15 after the Office of the State Auditor issued the State Board a “disclaimer of opinion” letter. In that event, state law requires the state superintendent of education to direct the school district to immediately cease all expenditures until a financial adviser is appointed by the state superintendent. The financial adviser oversees the district’s finances effective immediately.

The Commission on School Accreditation determined an emergency exists because HCCSD has serious violations of federal and state law and accreditation standards, serious concerns regarding financial resources, inappropriate standards of governance, and a continued pattern of poor academic performance.

The special-called State Board meeting will begin at 10 a.m. August 3 in the Fourth Floor Board Room* of the Central High School Building, 359 N. West St., Jackson. The State Board will follow the same format as the Commission in allowing HCCSD and the MDE to address the State Board prior to its determination.

*COVID-19 SAFETY MEASURES: The Board Room has limited capacity and can only accommodate State Board members, designated Mississippi Department of Education staff and HCCSD representatives participating in the meeting. All other visitors may view the meeting remotely via live stream or watch the live stream from the 2nd floor auditorium in the Central High School Building. All meeting participants and visitors must wear a mask.

 

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great. Now maybe they’ll do a On-Site Investigative Audit of Jackson schools

Anonymous said...

So over 80% of the reporting/requirements are in violation? After scanning through the documents it’s like really? No report?
We all know the kids suffer .

Anonymous said...

MOST ALL of our public schools are in some sort of ruin. Holmes at least is batting 800. Next we find out they were teaching CRT and feeding the kids cat tamales. Running peep shows from the faculty lounge...meh. It's no secret that America's school systems are screwed beyond repair, most of our kids are dumb if the parent is stupid and the teachers are scared to death to say anything. Hinds County schools are no different than they were 40 years ago. Holmes is obviously worse.

Anonymous said...


Let me guess. The administration at HCCSD will blame it all on COVID.

Anonymous said...

COVID has hit some districts worst than others. Poorer black districts such as HCCSD have been impacted more severely because of lack of resources but doesn’t matter because Tate “KKK” Reeves is using this as an opportunity to take it over. They will take over more districts unless we act and make our voices heard. State has no business sticking nose in this especially while the damn pandemic is still going on.

Anonymous said...

I have been saying for years that the education system has been hijacked by the UN agenda (read Common Core) and is designed to appear as though they are trying to teach but making sure the children aren't actually able to think. You need a dumbed-down populace if you're going to micro-control it.

Anonymous said...

4:23 - Why in hell would you suggest the state has an interest in 'taking over' a failed school district? What could possibly be achieved or accomplished by that? You must be a bit tetched in the head to think any governor would want that on his plate. It's no-win - no-win situation. There is zero way to turn Holmes County around. So, you sit in the bleachers and suggest that's a worthy goal, failure of which will put some sort of plume in the gubs hat? Man, you done doubled up on stupid today. G'nite.

Anonymous said...

@4:23pm
Did you not notice the D and F Performance Classifications of each of these schools? We already knew what this audit confirms: Holmes County is FAILING to provide its children an education. Its administrators and teachers are not performing their fundamental responsibilities. Why on earth would you want to protect that, to shield those responsible from accountability, and to continue to fail generation after generation? Isn't it time to act radically to turn this around? God help you for playing the race card to keep these children ignorant. And COVID did not create this situation either; these schools were failing long before the virus touched American soil.

Anonymous said...

4:23, please educate us why it is a political plum to take over a failing/failed school district. Phillbilly didn't touch JPS with a 1000 foot pole.

Anonymous said...

I'm hoping someone will put the Superintendent's credentials out here for the public review.

Anonymous said...

Nobody and nothing will touch JPS.

Anonymous said...

4:23 - you must be a recent grad of the Holmes County district to express such a dumb, no - idiotic - comment suggesting that the Governor set this up to be able to take over the district.

Why in the hell would any person, much less an elected official, want to set it up to be able to take over a failing system and add those problems to the ones he already faces.

Go back and check out Phil (check out my boots) Bryant's actions witht the failing Jackson Public Schools. He did all he could to avoid dealng with it, finally punting it to a Jackson based 'commission'. Granted, not good governance, but certainly good avoidance which is what any governor would want in a similar situation.

Kingfish said...

How does the governor take it over? Tell me.

Anonymous said...

What about the Carswell report? Did I miss that? Cool segment on Hilton’s show on Fox.

Anonymous said...

The best starting point to improve the lives of children in Holmes County is to remove them from Holmes County.

Anonymous said...

I heard on SuperTalk today that the Holmes County Superintendent of Education makes $160-170k per year. They gave the list of top 50 highest paid public employees in the State and a good many are in the education sector.

Anonymous said...

4:23 may not of heard the old saying, "When you point a finger remember there are three pointed back at You".

Anonymous said...

If anyone thinks "lack of resources"n is still a viable argument--they (clap) are (clap) on (clap) crack!

Anonymous said...

When the School Board President has the credential of Civil Rights Activist you just know the district is in trouble.

Anonymous said...

"How does the governor take it over? Tell me."

Ah, Kingfish...I don't know the whole process, but I believe the SDE recommends to the governor and the governor either accepts the recommendation, ignores it, or (as in the case of JPS) comes up with some chicken-shit decision to put some dynamic, local group of 100 special men and a mayor in charge.

Please tell you do know the governor makes the decision as to 'take over'. Please? Did you snooze through this class?......

Anonymous said...

A State takes over a failed school system to financially bleed it dry. Hazlehurst for example. Cronies get put in charge who hire their cronies, make killing salaries and eventually shut the schools down. Populaces don't deserve a school when shit goes on like what has been happening in Holmes County.

Anonymous said...

An article criticizing a leftist run school district??? On JJ???

In an earlier thread re the vaccination and leftists doing as they always do, looking down their noses while insinuating that Republican voters are the dumb ones (BWAHAHAHAHAHA), one poster pointed out that Mississippi had “low graduation rates.”

My response “@3:58, regarding those low Mississippi graduation rates, do you think the graduation rates are lowest in Democrat controlled school districts, or Republican?”

But it was censored. Go Figure.

P.S. Schools have not been about children for a very, very long time. They’re about jobs, and retirement. Didn’t Canton schools have close to a 50% failure rate at one time?

Anonymous said...

4:23 has not read or understood a single comment from the rational folks that tried to explain the fallacy in his/her thought process.

They simply believe that they are victims and that is the only valid reason they cannot succeed in life.

This, on a global scale, is the reason for a large number of our societal woes.

Anonymous said...

I hope the program for gifted students will survive.

Anonymous said...

Years back MS State Department of Education Superintendent was the highest paid in the entire United States. That is ludicrous and remember this when our children are suffering low test scores! It takes the support of parents as well but to say education does not pay is a LIE!

Anonymous said...

10:06 AGREED! If ANY public sector gets money absolutely thrown at it, it's the education system! Now, what they DO with it, that's another matter.....

Look at Holmes County as a whole, then consider their school system. Any correlation? Nah.

Anonymous said...

I'm in agreement with 10:06. The lack of resources at home may be an issue, but the district itself is getting more than enough money from the state and county to properly educate children. Our legislature and governor really need to pushing the consolidation of districts. Get rid of the excess administration and put the resources in the classrooms (students and infrastructure).

Jimmy B said...

The public school system in Mississippi has been hi-jacked by the MAE. They whine and moan every couple of years wanting raises and more money for education. These people could care less about the children that are trapped in the public school system in Mississippi. You could drop a cargo plane load of cash in the Holmes County school system and grades will not improve one percent. This could be repeated throughout this state and the results would be the same. Over 50% of the states budget goes to education which excludes the IHL. Take time to look at some of the BS for extra expense that falls under education and the administrative cost are off the charts. Many of Mississippi children are trapped in these districts and don't have a chance in the world for a decent education.

Anonymous said...

I'm sure the Gov or the MDE have all the headaches they need already. Why in the world would they want to take this over?



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