NEWS RELEASE
Release Date: December 21, 2009
Contact: Pete Smith Director of Communications, 601.359.1336
Mississippi Board of Education meets in Jackson
The Mississippi Board of Education met recently in Jackson and approved the following:
Approved:
• The nonpublic school accreditation statuses for School Year 2009-2010. The annual accreditation statuses for nonpublic schools are assigned in December of each year and are determined by information verified during the previous school year (2008-2009). Accreditation statuses are based on compliance with the process standards as outlined in Mississippi Nonpublic School Accountability Standards, 2004.
• To modify grant awards for the FY 2008 Even Start Family Literacy Program. The purpose of this grant is to help break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy by improving educational opportunities for low income families through the integration of early childhood education, adult literacy and parenting education. Total modified grant award is $856,774.50.
• Benoit School District $76,490.52
• Cleveland School District $103,005.84
• Franklin County School District $53,990.52
• Good Shepherd (Partnership with Vicksburg- Warren) $94,123.02
• Lauderdale County School $75,000.00
• Leaf River Family Services Consortium (Petal Schools) $146,146.86
• Leflore County School $78,844.93
• Montgomery County School District $53,990.53
• Starkville School District $76,490.53
• West Tallahatchie School District $98,691.75
• To revise State Board Policy 902 – GED Option Guidelines. This policy has cleared the Administrative Procedures Act process with public comments.
• The estimate of the Mississippi Adequate Education Program Base Student Cost for Fiscal Year 2011.
• The methodology for awarding grants to Mississippi colleges, universities, educational consortiums and other education service providers to support activities that recruit, retain and enhance Mississippi educators.
Appointed:
• Melissa Barnes as Education Bureau Director of the Office of School Financial Services. She has more than 15 years of accounting experience. She is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified School Business Administrator. She has a B.P.A., Accounting degree from Mississippi State University.
• Cassandra Moore as Education Bureau Director of the Office of Human Resources. She has 20 years of human resources experience. She has a B.A. Business Administration degree from Jackson State University.
• Joshua Shoemaker as Education Bureau Director of the Office of Internal Accountability. He has seven years of accounting experience. He is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Fraud Examiner. He has a Master's of Criminal Justice degree from Boston University and a B.A. Accounting degree from Mississippi State University.
Recognized:
Mississippi Board of Education Chair Bill Jones (left) and Interim State Superintendent of Education Dr. John W. Jordan (far right) congratulate Scott Pfaff, Physics teacher at Gulfport High School – Gulfport School District for being a 2009 Milken Award recipient. Also pictured is Gulfport School Superintendent Mr. Glenn East.
Mississippi Board of Education Chairman Bill Jones (left) and Interim State Superintendent of Education Dr. John W. Jordan (right) congratulate former Oak Grove Elementary – DeSoto County School District Principal Dr. Janice Barton for being named 2009 Mississippi Distinguished Principal.
Mississippi Board of Education Chairman Bill Jones (left) and Interim State Superintendent of Education Dr. John W. Jordan (right) congratulate Hernando High School – DeSoto County School District Principal Freddie Joseph for being named 2009 Mississippi High School Principal of the Year.
Mississippi Board of Education Chairman Bill Jones (far left) and Interim State Superintendent of Education Dr. John W. Jordan (far right) congratulate Petal Middle School – Petal School District Principal Michael Hogan for being named 2009 Mississippi Middle School Principal of the Year. Also pictured Dr. John Buchanan (left) and Jack Linton (right).
Mississippi Board of Education Chairman Bill Jones (left) and Interim State Superintendent of Education Dr. John W. Jordan (right) congratulate DeSoto County School Superintendent Milton Kuykendall for being named 2009 -2010 Mississippi Superintendent of the Year.
Mississippi Board of Education Chairman Bill Jones (left) and Interim State Superintendent of Education Dr. John W. Jordan (right) congratulate Bobbie Bell for being named MDE Employee of the Month.
Next Meeting:
The next meeting of the Mississippi Board of Education (MBE) will be January 14, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. in the Board Room on the 4 th Floor of the Central High School Building, 359 North West Street , Jackson , MS . The MBE will also meet on Friday, January 15, 2010 beginning at 8:30 a.m. in the Board Room.
