Some state lawmakers say they want to reduce administrative costs and bureaucracy at school districts. They also want to replace dysfunctional school boards with more qualified leaders.
They’re discussing district consolidations as a way to realize those goals in hopes of improving outcomes for students at low performing schools.
“We’re trying to make sure that we’re giving these communities some basis to have some good leadership, move their community forward and not hamstring them even further,” said Rob Roberson, co-chair of the Select Committee on Consolidation. Consolidation should not compound the problems the smaller districts had before merging, he said.
The state House subcommittee convened on Thursday. School district consolidation is slated to be a priority for House Speaker Jason White when the next session begins in January.
Since fall, the Mississippi Department of Education has taken over two school districts, Okolona and Wilkinson County, for financial and academic reasons, respectively. Dozens of other school districts have not filed one or more years of financial audits, which could mask serious financial troubles. Leadership issues in local school districts have led to costly state takeovers. Academic and financial concerns often come downstream of leadership issues in local school districts, state Superintendent Lance Evans told lawmakers.
But the Education Department cannot take over every struggling school district — a challenge Evans reiterated Thursday.
State Superintendent of Education Dr. Lance Evans during a meeting of State Board of Education, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025 in Jackson. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi TodayEvans previously shared with the Senate Appropriations Committee that the department had spent $1.5 million on the state takeover of Okolona Separate School District in November, which strained an agency emergency fund meant to help struggling districts.
Many legislators said consolidation can be an effective tool to resolve longstanding issues with leadership in school districts with shrinking enrollment where management talent might be sparse.
Representatives discussed other methods of holding school leaders accountable, too. Some suggested increasing the eligibility requirements for local school board members. Others suggested passing legislation that grants power to oust a sitting school board member by referendum — an idea addressed in multiple bills in the past session, all of which died.
State education officials told legislators that consolidation requires investment in leadership too.
“Consolidation might put you in a position to be effective down the road, but you’ve got to make some decisions to manifest that,” said Mike Kent, a state Education Department official tasked with assisting on future consolidations. “Consolidation is not a panacea for saving money.”
A mixed history of consolidations
School consolidations have had mixed results in Mississippi.
Rep. Greg Holloway, D- Hazlehurst, questions Kim Wiley during a meeting of the House Education Freedom Select Committee at the Mississippi State Capitol in Jackson on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
Kent touted Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District as a “poster child” for consolidation, but acknowledged the proximity to Mississippi State University as a unique factor to its success as an A rated district. In contrast, Greenwood-Leflore Consolidated School District has had significant superintendent turnover. It has earned only “C” and “D” grades on the state accountability system since its consolidation in 2019. The state took over Holmes County Consolidated School District in 2021 over safety and financial concerns following its consolidation in 2018.
Legislation to consolidate the Hazlehurst City School District and the Copiah County School District died in committee in the last legislative session. Now, Hazlehurst City schools, which the state took over in 2008, faces a possible state takeover if district leadership can’t clear remaining accreditation violations.
Rep. Greg Holloway, a Democrat from Hazlehurst, expressed concern about facilities maintenance and school board governance in the city school district, but he said other accountability strategies should be explored before consolidation.
He did acknowledge that consolidations can benefit some communities.
“You have to take a look at what is best for the students, what is best for the community, what is best for economic development,” Holloway told Mississippi Today. “It helps to make the district more sustainable financially if you do that because most of these school districts, if you look at them, they’re top heavy.”
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