During a special meeting of the state board of education yesterday, the Mississippi Commission on School Accreditation reported findings showing the Holmes County Consolidated School District in violation of 26 of the 32 accreditation standards that all Mississippi public school districts are required to meet. Following arguments by both parties, the board voted unanimously to declare a state of emergency and abolish the district.
State Board Chair Rosemary Aultman says recommending an emergency declaration was the right decision.
“When there was as many financial questions as there are, when there's as many questions about their teaching staff and the ability to find qualified teachers, the safety of the buildings and the safety of the buses...those impact children’s lives,” said Aultman.
The current district superintendent and school board chair presented their case saying they’ve ceased spending and hired new leadership shortly after the state began its audits in May. Representatives requested the board consider probation while the new administration continues to rebuild rather than dissolve the district. But, the office of accreditation said the district hadn’t made much progress, if any at all.
Clarence Webster, attorney for the Holmes County Consolidated School District, disagrees.
“I think that we demonstrated that we have the right leadership in place to turn things around in Holmes County and I will continue to raise my grave concerns about MDE’s ability to exercise oversight of the schools of the state of Mississippi in light of their utter failure to address these issues that are now being used against Holmes County Consolidated School District in 2018 when their financial advisor abruptly quit,” said Webster.
Governor Tate Reeves has 14 days to respond to the board’s request for state takeover.
