MSSportsGuy

I don't think this is a great decision and may wind up having some schools leave for the MAIS. When the association decided schools along the river couldn't let non-MS resident athletes participate several parochial schools left. This may cause a similar defection. The Booneville fan base was very vocal on FB about Presbyterian Christian winning the 3A baseball championship over them. Neaves is from that area and probably heard a good bit of chatter about it from old friends. These decisions to me generally seems short sighted and knee jerk reactions to a small number of coaches, principals, and parents.

With Bama going back to 6 classes (different circumstances but...) maybe that will make the association and their members realize 7A is spreading around the schools too much for miniscule enrollment differences once the top layer is taken care of. Five classes are probably enough for a state our size.

And yes 7A needs to go away. More consolidation will eventually force their hands hopefully

Blake Levine has reported 1A Thrasher in Prentiss County isn't playing next season due to lack of numbers. That's near my hometown area and their numbers and record have never been good but hate to see another loss in the 1A ranks. Hopefully it's temporary but these things tend not to come back once they are gone. There really should be some consolidation between Thrasher and Jumpertown.

I will go a step further and say we could cut the number of counties in half. Three million is our total population and isn't exactly growing. Cut the number of counties, legislators, school districts, community colleges and IHLs in half and you are talking about serious savings.

I looked at the AHSAA site and saw their numbers. The gap between the biggest 6A and smallest is about 1000 students. I wonder if their association was worried about decreasing excitement with such a large enrollment difference.

I will be curious how this plays out. To me the association has been way, way, way too rigid about keeping an equal number of teams in divisions/regions or not letting a school play up or down a class if there is a minimal enrollment difference but would improve the travel conditions for the kids and attendees. Football once a week is one thing, but other sports often play during the week and it's a burden to send teams hours and hours away from home several times a season just for the sake of playing a game.

Fighting consolidations rarely works. School boards see the financial side of things the public does not.

The current configuration is: Walnut K12 on one campus Chalybeate K-8 on a campus, students attend Walnut for 9-12 Falkner Elementary K5 on a campus Falkner High 6-12 on a campus less than a mile away Planned configuration (per my source) Falkner Elementary k-5 remains North Tippah High (walnut campus) all grades 6-12 Chalybeate Elementary K-5 to add those from Walnut Current Falkner High no longer in use Falkner and Walnut are 8 miles apart on Highway 15 so not a bad distance yet this has been very contentious and I suspect Ripley and Pine Grove will get some current FHS students in protest

Ashland. Benton County is very small population wise. The challenge there is they have two very different student bodies demographics wise and would incite a civil war at the suggestion of consolidation, from both sides. There are always bills and studies that can tell us the same thing: there are too many school districts in a state our size. There have been some district consolidations in a few counties that were forced legislatively. The problem is it requires the political will to do it. You can mention district consolidations all day long, but when people hear the C word, they immediately think their school will disappear. No superintendent or school board will voluntarily give up their roles. The average Mississippian hears district consolidation and the pitchforks go up. Unless there is the will to mandate them legislatively it won't happen.

That's easy to say but tougher to do. West Lowndes for example is 20 miles from New Hope and Caledonia (the other schools in the Lowndes District). It's only 10 miles from Columbus High School but it's a City vs County district difference there. It is almost 30 miles from Shaw to Rosedale and West Bolivar high as both are in the same district. It's 12 miles from Shaw to Cleveland but again, separate districts. McAdams in only about 10 miles to Kosciusko but since it's part of Attala School and the city is separate, Ethel would be 16 miles away. In the case of Thrasher and Jumpertown they are only about 10 miles apart. but would one of the facilities be able to accommodate their current students and also the new students? A new facility would be ideal but money is probably an issue. I'd wager Ripley and Collins could absorb Blue Mountain and Mount Olive easily without major renovations or additions but right now there appears to be no will to change anything. District consolidation should take place in many of these counties and facilitate school consolidation but there doesn't seem to be any real appetite for it outside of a few comments.

A list of these 1A schools and their totals in 3 grades underscores the need for several on this list to consolidate in some shape or form. Bigger isn't always better and from growing up in Northeast Mississippi, I am sensitive and also sympathetic to possible changes but it's not financially feasible to keep staffing schools that are in poor physical condition with shrinking numbers. At some point parents and grandparents have to accept their old school may not exist anymore.

What's weird to me is Strayhorn continued to play as a 1A after Coldwater closed. The MHSAA didn't even put another school in that region, there were only 3 football teams for those two years. Wonder why Leake is being moved up?

The problem most people have is giving money to private schools. When you consider half the vouchers were designated for those already in private school, it looks like more of a giveaway program. The senators who killed the bill listened to their voters and some in the house did not.

It makes sense for sure, but I don't see the districts combining unless forced by legislation. Attala County would be wise to follow what Starkville did with Oktibbeha County Schools and merge them all into one high school. The county is poor and likely isn't able to have many resources when compared with the city. While no doubt both are probably fine with the situation, it would likely be best for the kids for a single district and high school. McAdams and Ethel have very different demographics so just merging them together would not likely go over well but could happen of course.

The increase in consolidations was one of the reasons I gave years ago for why we don't need 7 classes and perhaps not even 6. There will continue to be other closures and mergers. At the very least 1A football should go to 4 regions again.

The Alabama Assocation has decided to split their private schools out of their public championships. They are also going back to 6 classes for public and creating 2 classes for private. Looking at this article illustrates just how many more schools are in their assocation. https://www.maxpreps.com/news/VN_hyZHud0ObCFUl8bHWQg/high-school-football-alabama-votes-to-split-public%2C-private-school-championships.htm I wonder if this is to increase excitement? Alabama now has the same set up as Tennessee with 6 classes for public and 2 for private. Of course MHSAA doesn't have that many private schools in the assocation, especially enough to create their own classification. Seven classes is beyond stupid. We should have 6 if not 5.

My apologizes for the error, I misread the bill. You are correct.

HB 2 does only give $1,000 to home school families. However, it does allow parents to apply for vouchers, also called Magnolia Savings Accounts, where they will receive money to send their kids to private schools. There will be 12,500 vouchers for those in public to go to private and another 12,500 for those already in private. While the bill may not directly "fund" private schools, it allows money to be given to them.

To me, if this were about helping students in failing schools get better access, this bill would only be for those students. If you live in an F or D rated district, attend public school and want to go to another one in a better position or even a private school, then I could see offering some financial help if the family is low on the SES scale. But half of the vouchers are aimed for students who are already in private schools. That's a giveaway program under the guise of helping students.

I'd say if the state does approve homeschool students playing on public school teams, the MHSAA will make the change fairly quickly. Otherwise it would just be lawsuits waiting to happen.

Right now they do not, but part of House Bill 2 would allow homeschooled students to play with their public school. I get it. These families pay school taxes. I also pay school taxes despite the fact my two kids are grown. I pay taxes on lots of things I don't have access to or need because they support the common good. A family who homeschools or sends their kids to private school have actively decided to not take advantage of a public service that is being offered. That's totally fine. I just don't think they should be given public money because of that choice.

This is exactly what I've thought about including homeschooled families in this bill. Not everyone homeschools for the right reasons. If this bill passes as written (probably not) then no only can someone homeschool with a voucher their kid can now play sports with their local public school. Many who homeschool do a great job but I think the numbers who don't do anything with their kids will increase if they are given a financial incentive to do so.

I wonder why only Hazelhurst and Copiah are singled out. There needs to be many, many more. I have posted before I am not a fan of homeschooled students playing sports on their public school teams. Yes, I know homeschooled families pay taxes that support the schools but I'm just not a fan. I won't die on the hill of it but just don't like it. Play in a homeschool league, travel ball team, or find another arrangement. School choice as is being defined by creating vouchers for students also doesn't sit well with me either. My twins graduated from public school. Overall it was a good experience and both have done okay. My daughter said she was going to consider private school for my grandson (he isn't of age yet) and that's her decision. None of these causes will rile me up beyond a few comments to friends and family and some moderate posts in places such as this.

I'd be surprised if Ethel and McAdams merge mainly because of the demographic differences between the two places. What would be better would be for Attala County and Kosciusko school districts to merge under a single administration while keeping the school sites open (at least for now). I suspect Leake County and Central merge sooner than later.