State Board of Education places Wilkinson County School District into a District of Transformation due to serious academic deficiencies

NEWS RELEASE 

For Immediate Release: January 15, 2026

State Board of Education places Wilkinson County School District into a District of Transformation due to serious academic deficiencies

JACKSON, Miss. – The Mississippi State Board of Education today placed the Wilkinson County School District into a District of Transformation due to serious academic deficiencies that demonstrate the district’s inability to provide students with an adequate and stable education. As a District of Transformation, the Wilkinson County School District is now a state-led district under the supervision of the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) and the State Board of Education (SBE).

The SBE’s determination 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, with 50% of its schools currently being F-rated. As the only district with an F-rating for two consecutive years, Wilkinson County is the state’s lowest-performing district.

Under the statutory authority established during the 2024 legislative session, the SBE has the authority to place a school district into a District of Transformation for serious academic deficiencies or serious financial impairments. Under the new statutory framework, only the SBE 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 academic or financial reasons.

In addition to its serious academic deficiencies, 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,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Lance Evans. “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.”

The SBE has appointed Lee Coats to serve as Wilkinson County’s interim superintendent. He most recently served as Assistant Superintendent of the Holmes County Consolidated School District.

The state’s other Districts of Transformation include Noxubee County, Holmes County, Humphreys County, Yazoo City and the Okolona Separate School District. Okolona became a District of Transformation in November due to serious financial impairments, making it the first district to be taken over under the SBE’s new statutory authority.

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