Many were left shaking their heads this week after learning that the state cited the Yazoo County School District for issues surrounding two schools located on the Gulf Coast.
Laughter filled the room with the news that an audit conducted by the Mississippi Department of Education last May cited the district for not having school site plans for William Berry Elementary School and Heidelberg High School.
Needless to say, the citation was quickly corrected by local school leaders.
“This actually happens all the time,” Superintendent Becky Fisher said, with a smile.
Gloria Jamison, the district’s federal program director, said the district was given three citations by the state earlier in the year during a routine audit.
“Those three citations have all been corrected,” Jamison added.
Two of the citations were simple to fix with corrected dates and signatures on various documents. But the third citation raised a few eyebrows.
“We were cited for not having a school site plan for William Berry Elementary School and Heidelberg High School, which neither are in our district,” Jamison said, as laughter filled the room. “And we were cited for it.”
The two schools are actually located within the East Jasper School District, located almost three hours away.
“And because we were cited for those two different schools not in our district, that was the urgency to have something in writing saying it had been corrected,” Jamison concluded.
In other county school board news:
•The JROTC and Yazoo County Band were given permission to perform at a NBA game in New Orleans.
“This is such an honor,” Fisher said. “They are doing outstanding. The kids are excited, and behaviors have improved.”
Since its establishment three years ago, the band is making its mark within the community and beyond.
• The board accepted a bid on a five-year agricultural lease of 19 acres.
However, they rejected the bids on other parcels to readvertise for three year contracts, not five years.
•The Health and Wellness Policy for both Linwood Elementary School and Yazoo County Middle School were approved by the board.
• The board accepted a $300 bid on a fryer and a $100 bid for a milk cooler, both designated as surplus equipment.
• The board approved the replacement of a fire alarm system at Yazoo County High School.
