Public schools in Wilkinson County are now under state control.
The Mississippi State Board of Education announced Thursday that the county’s schools have been placed into a district of transformation due to “an inability to provide students with an adequate and stable education.” A district of transformation is placed under direct state control as a result of persistent academic failure or severe financial mismanagement.
According to its website, the Wilkinson County School District consists of three education centers — Wilkinson County High School, Wilkinson County Elementary School, and Martin Luther King Career and Technology Complex — while serving approximately 700 students.
State officials said the decision to take over the district was made in accordance with state law and based on the district’s history of persistently poor academic performance. This includes the district being F-rated for two consecutive years. As the only district with an F-rating for two consecutive years, Wilkinson County is the state’s lowest-performing district.
In addition to its serious academic deficiencies, state officials contend that the Wilkinson County School District has not completed an annual financial audit since June 2022, has received a probation accreditation status for eight of the past 11 years, and was cited for test security violations in 2023, which resulted in the high school not receiving an accountability grade.
“Districts in crisis typically show multiple areas of distress,” State Superintendent of Education Dr. Lance Evans said. “Thankfully, the law allows the state to intervene when a local school district cannot provide students with an adequate and stable educational environment. The MDE and the State Board are committed to ensuring the students of Wilkinson County receive the quality education they deserve.”
Lee Coats, who most recently served as assistant superintendent of the Holmes County Consolidated School District, has been tabbed to serve as Wilkinson County’s interim superintendent.
As things stand, Mississippi’s other districts of transformation include Noxubee County, Holmes County, Humphreys County, Yazoo City, and the Okolona Separate school districts.
