From press and staff reports
Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann on October 26 recognized 130 Mississippi schools for maintaining strong student attendance rates, including Kosciusko Middle Elementary School, which kept its chronic absenteeism rate at or below 15% despite a statewide surge in student absences.
The honor comes as the Mississippi Department of Education's 2024-2025 report shows the state's chronic absenteeism rate climbed from 24.4% to 27.6%, meaning more than one in four Mississippi students missed enough school days to be classified as chronically absent.
Kosciusko Middle Elementary was the sole recipient of the Lieutenant Governor's Attendance Award in the Kosciusko School District, standing out among schools statewide that bucked the troubling trend.
"Regular attendance is one of the strongest predictors of academic and life-long success," Hosemann said. "Chronic absenteeism is rampant in our state. These schools, their teachers and families are making daily efforts to ensure students are present and learning. Their hard work deserves recognition."
The award recipients span every region of Mississippi and include elementary, middle and high schools. Each school will receive a certificate of recognition from the Lieutenant Governor's Office.
Hosemann has made reducing chronic absenteeism a cornerstone of his education agenda heading into the 2026 Legislative Session. His forthcoming proposals include placing a school attendance officer in every district, raising their salaries and lowering the educational requirement from a bachelor's degree to an associate's degree to help fill the positions.
The lieutenant governor also plans to push for a teacher pay raise and incentives to encourage retired teachers to return to the classroom.
Among the 130 honored schools, Rankin County School District led the state with 15 recognized campuses, followed by Madison County Schools with six and Jackson Public Schools with eight schools earning the distinction.
