From staff reports
Kosciusko school officials wrestled with financials, but reported progress there and pretty much across the board Monday evening, Feb. 9.
From the search for a new superintendent of education to pushing progress on renovating the school auditorium on Jefferson Street, the outlook appeared to be one of progress.
Board President Allison Schuler gave the Kosciusko Board of Education an overview of efforts to recruit a new superintendent.
“We have received applicants,” she opened, adding that while applications are still being accepted, officials “have chosen some to vet” already.
She emphasized the application process remained open and preferences will lean toward candidates’ experience and their willingness “to move to our community.”
The new superintendent will be expected to take the reins of the district by July 1, replacing Dr. Donna Boone, who will be completing her one-year interim contract, executed after the departure of Zach Bost from the post.
Delegates from the Kosciusko Foundation for Excellence in Education, Dr. Tim Alford and Hart Pettit, gave an update on efforts to renovate the auditorium on Jefferson Street, a discourse in juggling schedules, money sources and bureaucratic guidelines.
Work was moving forward on Phase II of the plan, entailing work on restrooms and the facility’s lobby, expected to be named the Mickey Grove Lobby, in honor of the longtime and highly successful director of the Kosciusko High School band, said Dr. Alford.
Phase I entailed new seats in the auditorium and new flooring at a cost of $1.2 million, he said.
Money appeared to be in place for Phase II work, as officials tried to coordinate expenditures from the right money source at the right time and meet deadlines.
He said a $1 million USDA Rural Development grant appeared to be in hand, but he suggested an earmarked $430,000 fund in the district coffers should be spent first, because the deadline to make use of that money was looming in mid-September.
That expenditure would have to follow state purchasing laws, and that meant getting architects to quickly prepare designs and specifications and pursue competitive bids.
If $430,000 didn’t pay the entire Phase II costs, then Rural Development monies could be used to complete payment, Dr. Alford said,
Meanwhile, he added, the foundation has also landed a $340,000 behest from the Mississippi State Arts Commission.
He said the foundation would have 18 months to make use of those funds, but the Mississippi Department of Archives of History would be watching closely to be sure updates followed the original design and decor of the auditorium building.
To work out the process, Superintendent Boone said, “We have to have the specs ASAP.”
Finances remained at center stage as the district’s auditor, Barry McKenzie, gave state auditor’s report on the FY 2023 audit.
He indicated there were a few issues cited, but all seemed to be corrected.
He added that his FY 2024 audit would be ready sometime in early March, to then be sent off to state review.
Assuming all went well with that process, he said work could be completed on the 2025 audit.
All three of the audits will have by then gone belatedly to the state, delays the board was told a month earlier stemmed largely from impact of the covid pandemic and responses.
Dr. Kenneth Quick, board member, began to ask questions about the delays, and if McKenzie could be held responsible for any penalties that might be incurred with the late returns.
While similar delays at other districts had been laid to covid, Quick questioned the matter. “We have schools around us, such as the county schools; they’re up to date.
“If you have a problem getting things to you, we need know if we need to do something to catch up or you need to do something to catch up.”
Farrah Wilder, asked if there were “corrective action plans. Are we seeing that going into play?”
McKenzie said there had been some issues with 16th section lands and leases, but added he understood measures had been taken and that “should improve.”
He also agreed to visit the board on a quarterly basis.
Macy Wilbanks, faculty member, was called on to deliver kudos to a quartet of top Kosciusko High School students who had posted ACT scores of 30 or higher.
The foursome, their scores and classifications, included Scarlett Armstrong, 32, sophomore; Hanna Beckham, 32, junior; Alaina Greenlee, 33, sophomore; and Klara Tran, 31, sophomore.
With none of the honorees being seniors, opportunities existed for them to re-take and perhaps improve their scores, Wilbanks said.
“There’s plenty of time to grow that,” she offered. “Any time you get a 30-plus you put yourself out in front, money-wise.”
Kosciusko Junior High selected for state adolescent literacy pilot
Kosciusko Junior High School has been selected as one of only three districts in Mississippi to participate in the state’s Adolescent Literacy Pilot, an initiative aimed at closing literacy gaps in the middle grades.
State Superintendent Dr. Lance Evans, along with members of the Mississippi Department of Education’s academic education team, recently visited Kosciusko Junior High School to participate in literacy training sessions with teachers.
The pilot program is designed to address the growing literacy gap among students in grades 4–8, particularly as academic texts become more complex in middle school. The initiative focuses on increasing how often students read, talk and write about grade-level content across subject areas.
Since October, Dr. Laurie Lee and Dr. Kevin Smith, senior research associates with the Florida Center for Reading Research at Florida State University, have been providing professional development to language arts, science and social studies teachers. The training emphasizes evidence-based literacy strategies that can be implemented across content areas to strengthen student comprehension and engagement.
District officials said they are proud of the work taking place at Kosciusko Junior High School and grateful for the partnerships supporting the effort.
School leaders believe the pilot will help equip teachers with tools to better support students as they navigate increasingly complex texts and academic expectations in the middle grades.
