FAYETTE — By 11:30 a.m., the students at Jefferson County schools are hungry.
Seated in rows at long cafeteria tables, elementary students tuck into their lunches — crispy chicken tenders, macaroni and cheese, corn and fruit. Only a few of them carry lunchboxes.
When they throw away their plastic foam trays, some lick barbecue sauce off their fingers.
In Jefferson County, 1 in 3 children is food insecure, making school meals an important source of consistent nourishment for many students.
And it’s not just food — the district meets all kinds of needs for families, such as childcare and transportation, Superintendent Adrian Hammitte said.
Fayette has a population of 1,445 people, and 30% of its residents live in poverty. The quiet town is in the wooded southwestern corner of the state, near the Louisiana line.
Many parents work full days in nearby counties or other states, Hammitte said, which means families rely on the district’s afterschool programs for childcare. Coaches and teachers sometimes drive students home from practices when their parents are unavailable.
Students eat lunch at Jefferson County Elementary School in Fayette, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026. Credit: Eric Shelton/Mississippi Today“The school is a big, big component of the community,” Hammitte said as his son approached for a hug before joining the lunch line. “We’ve taken on a role as partners with parents and families.”
The enrollment in Jefferson County schools is shrinking, as it is in other rural districts across the state. The Jefferson County district has lost more than 200 students, nearly 20% of its student body, in the past decade. As a result, district officials closed the junior high and upper elementary schools three years ago. Each school had served more than 160 students the year before it closed.
As Mississippi leaders consider consolidating some school districts, Hammitte is fielding questions from teachers and students about a potential merger with Claiborne County School District to its north. Such conversations are happening even though state lawmakers have not said publicly that they’re considering a consolidation between the districts.
“Many communities like mine rely on the district to be the heart of the community,” he said. “When you lose that, you can end up losing the entire community.”
‘When you’re hungry, you can’t pay attention’
Shameka Woods, Jefferson County Elementary School principal, was monitoring the cafeteria on the first day of school when she noticed some students crying. They had gotten to school late and the cafeteria had stopped serving breakfast.
Woods searched the pantry for cereal, milk and muffins.
It’s almost as if hungry students start the day with a strike against them, she said.
“It makes me feel bad to know what they’re going through, and then they’re expected to come up here and learn,” she said. “When you’re hungry, you can’t pay attention.”
Federal education data shows Jefferson County Elementary had 512 students in 2024-25, all of whom were also eligible for free or reduced price lunch.
Hunger can diminish student performance. Children who experience food insecurity during early years lack the same opportunities for success as their peers.
That’s why many Jefferson County teachers and administrators, including Tawanna Gibson, keep snacks in their classrooms and offices.
Tawanna Gibson pictured at the Jefferson County Career and Technical Center in Fayette, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026.Jefferson County School District Superintendent Adrian D. Hammitte poses for a photo at Jefferson County Elementary School in Fayette, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026.Students complete classwork at Jefferson County Middle School in Fayette, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026.Students eat lunch at Jefferson County Elementary School in Fayette, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026.Students eat lunch at Jefferson County Elementary School in Fayette, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026.Students eat lunch at Jefferson County Elementary School in Fayette, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026.Cheryl Conway oversees students completing work in her 8th grade math class at Jefferson County Middle School in Fayette, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026.Fayette Supermarket and Deli in Fayette, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026.Gibson, a district alumna, oversees the career and technical education center. Teachers often send students who are misbehaving in class to Gibson’s office. After a few minutes of conversation, many reveal that they’re hungry.
Gibson remembers when she was in school and students were ridiculed for asking peers for food from their lunch trays. Now she keeps granola bars, popcorn and fruit in her classroom for anyone who needs it.
“They knew that when they got home they wouldn’t have anything to eat,” she said of her former classmates. “That experience has stayed with me, and now I’m in the position I can help students.”
Child food insecurity is highly correlated to poverty. In Jefferson County, about a third of residents live in poverty, according to federal data — and lack of opportunity. Less than half of the county’s residents are employed, and the school district is the biggest employer.
There’s only one grocery store, Fayette Supermarket, in the county’s most populous town.
The grocery store carries a limited amount of fresh produce. Processed, pre-packaged food mostly lines the aisles.
‘An extension of the family’
Fayette is a close community.
“Everybody knows everybody,” Gibson said. “School has become much more than a place of academics. We basically serve as an extension of the family.”
That can mean school staff driving students home if their parents or grandparents are working.
Woods, the elementary principal, knows many of her children’s families. When she says she will call their homes to report their misbehavior, they know she’s not messing around.
Earlier this year, one of Woods’ students was arguing with another student on the school bus and got taken off. Woods knew his grandmother and was able to get in touch with her immediately. Then, she asked the school’s cheer coach to drive the student home.
“You don’t see things like that in a big district,” she said. “You have so many people who know these families and they’re able to step in. It takes a village.”
Other families take advantage of Jefferson County schools’ afterschool program, where the district provides homework assistance and snacks until 6:30 p.m. It’s a win-win for parents, said the Rev. Tracy Collins, a pastor at East Mount Olive Baptist Church in Lorman.
Students complete classwork at Jefferson County Middle School in Fayette, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026. Credit: Eric Shelton/Mississippi Today“Obviously, kids get off school before parents get off work,” he said. “You can get your kids taken care of and they can get some assistance in their learning.”
Collins’ church is one of the community organizations that the district partners with to provide extra resources for students, such as the supplies donated during a back-to-school tailgate this year. The district also worked with a number of local businesses and historically Black fraternities and sororities before the new school year began to provide classroom supplies for students to take that burden off of families.
“We educate our students, but we also nurture and encourage them,” Gibson said. “Families trust their children with us, and we take that responsibility seriously.”
Students gather around Jefferson County School District Superintendent Adrian D. Hammitte at Jefferson County Elementary School in Fayette, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026. Credit: Eric Shelton/Mississippi TodayThat’s why, as the district continues to lose students and the threat of consolidation looms closer, families and school officials hope they aren’t forced to merge with another district. Jefferson County Schools is too closely tied with its community, Hammitte said.
“Consolidation is at the forefront of everyone’s minds,” Hammitte said. “Even though we’re a small district, we have our own identity and traditions. The concern is that you just don’t know how it’s going to be if we have to consolidate with another district.”
“This is home for so many people, a lot of people who want to see it get better.”
This reporting is part of a collaboration with the Institute for Nonprofit News‘ Rural News Network and Big Local News at Stanford University, with data journalist Cherry Salazar’s analysis helping anchor the reporting. Six nonprofit newsrooms were involved: BenitoLink, KAXE, Mat-Su Sentinel, Mississippi Today, Oxford Free Press and The Texas Tribune. Support from the Walton Family Foundation made this project possible.
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