MSSportsGuy

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.

I grew up in Northeast Mississippi and my county (next to Tippah) is the same way. We have two districts with different superintendents, boards, staff, tax rates, etc. It literally makes no sense beyond "well it's always been that way". There has to be more political will to change it and right now there doesn't seem to be despite prior comments from the governor.

I suspect North Tippah will turn in combined Walnut and Falkner numbers in fall 2026 with the plan to play as a combined school in Fall 2027. The numbers should shake out to be 3A even if it's on the smaller side. Some Falkner students will wind up in the South Tippah District at Ripley or Pine Grove as they are not the least bit happy about the consolidation. I don't have a dog in the race but consolidation between the two districts would make much, much more sense as it's a small county with a relatively poor population.

All indications are the association likes things the way they are and while there are probably some coaches and admins who would prefer a different arrangement, I doubt there are enough to make a change. I've spent some time examining TN's system and there are 6 classes for football but only 4 for basketball, baseball, and such, and maybe only 3 for sports with less participation. They also have 300 member schools that play football in Division 1 (essentially their private schools are Division 2). The largest 6A school is Collierville with almost 3000 students and that includes grades 9-12. They have 50 in 6A and the smallest is Whitehaven HS with just under 1500. I wonder if TSSAA believes this decreases the excitement of the postseason with such a large gap?

I understood the argument about the gap between the top and bottom of 6A with 32 teams being very significant. The better solution would have been to make 6A the top 24 with 5A being the next 24 while pushing the others down the line. Those gaps aren't really significant once you move past the top layers. However we all know it was just revenue generation sold under the guise of being more equitable. It's created small regions and classes where teams struggle to get 10 game schedules, multiple winless teams in the "playoffs" which leads to more games, travel, practice, and time away from school. It's not just in football this is happening but could be seen to some degree across other sports as well. 6 classes is plenty and honestly 5 wouldn't be so bad in a state like ours with a shrinking school enrollment as well as consolidations of smaller, rural schools into larger ones. I know the MHSAA has always been about money but it wasn't always so blatantly obvious.

What Marshall did was garbage. It's one thing to not really try to win, but to flat out refuse to run plays, snap the ball, or even engage in the game is horrible. The coach messed up big time and the players and their parents should be horrified such an event happened. However, what was the MAIS thinking could happen in this new format? They clearly weren't. It's beyond silly to have this many "champions" for 4 classes in the name of keeping everyone happy. The big four in the Jackson area are so much larger than the rest of the association they really aren't able to compete, but those four are all hungry for power and bragging rights as well.

Thrasher in 1A also has no wins but is in a region with four schools so they could also get in with no victories. It's absurd this format exists. 6 classes is plenty but if the association won't change, which they won't, then 4 regions in 1A should be it.. There are too many bye weeks and incomplete schedules with these tiny regions. Having a winless team travel for a "playoff game" is idiotic.

I'd propose: 6A: 24 5A: 24 4A: 48 3A: 48 2A: 48 1A: whatever is left That's still just 6 teams in a region for 4A to 2A so one more region game and still 4 teams making the playoffs. The enrollment differences are pretty small between the classes after the top layer.