NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: November 14, 2025
State Board of Education places Okolona Separate School District into a District of Transformation due to financial impairments
JACKSON, Miss. – The Mississippi State Board of Education today placed the Okolona Separate School District into a District of Transformation due to serious financial impairments that threaten the district’s ability to provide students with an adequate and stable educational environment.
The determination was made in accordance with state law and based on multiple factors, including:
- Ongoing insolvency
- Failure to make payroll
- A pattern of fiscal mismanagement resulting in the absence of sufficient funds to maintain minimum operations and support interventions
- Failure to maintain adequate internal controls
- Failure to comply with Process Standards 4 and 5 of the Mississippi Public School Accountability Standards, 2025
Under the statutory authority established during the 2024 legislative session, the State Board of Education has the authority to place a school district into a District of Transformation for financial reasons if the State Board determines that the school district is impaired with a serious lack of financial resources. Under the new statutory framework, only the State Board of Education is required to make the determination, and the Governor need not declare a state of emergency for the board to place a district into a District of Transformation for financial reasons.
As a District of Transformation, the Okolona Separate School District is now a state-led school under the supervision of the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) and the State Board of Education. The MDE will appoint an interim superintendent to lead the district and work to ensure continuity of educational services for all students in the district during this transition.
“This was a difficult but necessary decision to protect the educational interests of students in Okolona,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Lance Evans. “The financial challenges facing this district have reached a point where state intervention is required to ensure students continue to receive the education they deserve.”
Find all MDE news releases at mdek12.org/news.
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Jean Cook, APR
Chief of Communication
601-359-3515
jcook@mdek12.org
Shanderia Minor
Public Information Officer
601-359-3515
sminor@mdek12.org
