[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6119926,"mediaKeyId","2710025-942d920a325cd1d593cbe02108f33281","parentId",2710025,"title","Board approves IT contracts, emergency repairs, financial reports and personnel actions; moves to closed session","audioSeconds",386,"startMs",2821000,"endMs",3207000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2710025-942d920a325cd1d593cbe02108f33281&start=2821&end=3207","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2710025-942d920a325cd1d593cbe02108f33281/thumbnail_2821000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6119926/Mississippi/Board-approves-IT-contracts-emergency-repairs-financial-reports-and-personnel-actions-moves-to-closed-session","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6119926-fa714a9ee2a3627268ece5dd5bab119d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771183041&Signature=XzO-ctStR6JjJ2WLQPTvvk9UbQM~9TWyC-mgRg~ninw~5sXJz7AGIXcTuc~eMOmWCyoOeyao83glNF6PxiZMNroXv~fYUihjaAX-LXCrJPVeR2jatqwIWI3W5XqhLylHWqlbpYgye7GaIAVuElwgSSev4Aor8VBpCMDKHGcSeGhrgKkVDrUC8cm0MXzBosWaM8s9tr~Th1iZSSmqjTQedj22R0ENN6PBW3JHJfnNDgO4~vt-oshIu1aYiFjppQuRNzINwAM7gBwK224IpTthCPrlSiuh1ZjTrwppRX-O1WXUMk3cD3BFNyiiz5~AHHpQCXVWdxxaI-WbVLKx8TbMLQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-03-20T04:06:21Z","article","The DeSoto County School District board approved a series of motions on procurement, finance and personnel during the meeting. Most approvals were voice votes with no roll-call tallies recorded in the transcript; each motion passed after the chair called for \"aye\" and the minutes recorded \"hearing none, that motion passes.\" The board also moved to consider a closed (executive) session to discuss student discipline, residency appeals, potential litigation and a potential contract.

Procurement and contracts:
- Fortinet firewall services and support: The board accepted the lowest and best bid from Synergex (described in the packet) and authorized entering a contractual agreement for firewall services and support.
- Network management and monitoring equipment and services: The board accepted the lowest and best bid from Synergex and authorized a contractual agreement for network management and monitoring services.
- Network switches: The board accepted the lowest and best bid from Business Communications and authorized entering a contractual agreement for network switches.
- Wireless access points: The board accepted the lowest and best bid from Synergex and authorized entering a contractual agreement for wireless access points.

Emergency and vendor payments:
- Emergency restoration at Moore Lake Elementary: The board approved an emergency purchase for Blue Sky Restoration to remove water and dehumidify a classroom at Moore Lake Elementary School, based on a plant maintenance packet.
- Payment to vendor for Olive Branch High School instructional services: The board approved paying a vendor for services rendered prior to a purchase order after the principal provided documentation; the transcript does not specify the vendor name.

Finance and administrative approvals:
- Approval of minutes: The board approved minutes from the March 3, 2025 board meeting.
- Consent agenda: The board approved the consent agenda (items a through d in the packet as presented).
- Statement of revenues and expenditures for January 2025: The board approved the report; the transcript records general fund revenues through January at $184,893,342 (about 2% higher than FY24) and total fund revenues of $218,120,938 (about 4% higher than last year). General fund expenditures through January were $169,331,988.
- Combined balance sheet and fund balance: The board approved the combined balance sheet for January 2025; the transcript records a general fund balance of $196,628,171 (up 10% from FY24).
- Statement of cash flow and bank reconciliations for January 2025: The board approved the cash-flow statement and certified that all bank statements were reconciled with no exceptions.

Personnel and other administrative actions:
- Personnel approvals: The board approved personnel changes presented in the packet, including adding new units at Oak Grove Elementary for 2025–26, reclassifying the supervisor of construction to manager of construction effective April 1, 2025, and adding two part-time student success adviser positions at Southaven High and DeSoto Central High (19.5 hours per week at $30 per hour each). The transcript also records provisional pay for a teacher at Lewisburg Mills School pending licensure from the Department of Education.

Executive session:
- The board approved consideration of a closed session to discuss student discipline matters, a residency appeal, potential litigation and a potential contract. The chair said Mr. Chase would later inform the public whether the board entered executive session.

Most motions were moved and seconded by board members as noted in the transcript; votes were taken by voice and recorded as passing when no members voiced opposition. The transcript does not include roll-call vote counts or named yes/no votes for these items.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","March 19th, 2025 - DeSoto County School Board Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","The DeSoto County School District board approved multiple IT and facilities contracts, emergency repairs, finance reports and personnel actions, and voted to consider an executive session for student-discipline and other confidential matters.","taxTitle","DESOTO CO SCHOOL DIST, School Districts, Mississippi","taxId",12966,"location","Mississippi","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6119931,"DeSoto County Schools reports growth in CTE applications and expands career-exploration programs",786,1546000,2332000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2710025-942d920a325cd1d593cbe02108f33281&start=1546&end=2332","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2710025-942d920a325cd1d593cbe02108f33281/thumbnail_1546000.jpg","/articles/6119931/Mississippi/DeSoto-County-Schools-reports-growth-in-CTE-applications-and-expands-career-exploration-programs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6119931-ca6730a24a7dde3aba644ea794a26ca9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771183041&Signature=eweXs~pcfhWhO1rdsqs4wNy0OhyhojABBdIM0S77NdjrUmZ0FdErt-dYK9Tp5rr6SaHF4HmnqbE06MvoQQ8lpTyYafyUwgJYmIDiwLmVTyQkVQh6W2zUrm3owmX2xzeRkXcmfEF0wq80Mbi8DWPMZA0ObhcgdpVG3W463OlqCNzKEAIE~~hl~IunMX5eRzef2RBxli7IdRtLFN8MsGGchY5js9DxhimteRUin9vAWN4C8yx~kC-syOi3p-gdXYtsShjRtJ-IkLvHs2nCgzEm3IXMCCnFhxYJwkhv7U~uhLNtkIkTvH7JLSdUnasMKegskkI-494pVSBu1CCKHcTJSQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Beth Turner, Director of Workforce Development for the DeSoto County School District, told the board the district received a little over 1,660 applications for CTE (career and technical education) programs for the 2025–26 school year and expects more than 630 new Year 1 students. Turner said total Year 1 and Year 2 enrollment will be “a little over a thousand.”

Turner described recruitment practices — student services, CTE counselors, student ambassadors, campus tours, pop-up sessions and demonstrations — and highlighted hands-on learning in shops and labs. She said ed prep students job-shadowed multiple school and central-office roles and then met with central services departments including academic services, physical plant, technology, human resources and accountability to see how central services support school roles.

Turner said students and program teams have won regional and state competitions (Technology Student Association, welding and skills contests) and some will advance to national competitions. The district has ongoing “workforce Wednesdays” spotlights for work-based learning students and an “alumni spotlight” to connect graduates with current students as guest speakers.

Middle- and elementary-school outreach includes career fairs and class pilots: Olive Branch Middle piloted a sixth-grade career exploration class replacing study skills; Horn Lake and Lewisburg middle schools hosted career fairs and DeSoto Central planned a career fair April 4 at 1:00 p.m. Turner described elementary partnerships with the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office (mentorship and “deputy for a day” incentives) and collaborations with university departments (Ole Miss geology demonstrations) and with health sciences CTE students doing 3-D models and demonstrations tied to first-grade curricula.

Turner highlighted CTE tours at East and West campuses for eighth graders and the Overpark Elementary STEAM Night that included industry partners and hands-on activities. She closed by thanking parents, industry partners and central services staff for supporting CTE and career exploration across K–12.

No board action was required for the presentation; the update was informational.","Director of Workforce Development Beth Turner updated the board on career and technical education (CTE) recruitment, program participation, industry partnerships and K–12 career-exploration activities; the district reported roughly 1,660 CTE applications and new hands-on programming at elementary and middle schools.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6119936,"DeSoto County Schools recognize seniors with 30+ ACT scores; board honored with governance award",1280,80000,1360000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2710025-942d920a325cd1d593cbe02108f33281&start=80&end=1360","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2710025-942d920a325cd1d593cbe02108f33281/thumbnail_80000.jpg","/articles/6119936/Mississippi/DeSoto-County-Schools-recognize-seniors-with-30-ACT-scores-board-honored-with-governance-award","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6119936-50ac783608c714c4840aa1406afbb3f3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771183041&Signature=S7q1k287NcolSeobpiOydest9BkwqOdbZnv-iiQ2X1t~EhV8EFyyspZEa8T3zPPwOuZbc7o6lOkU4mHXIzcIVsDDRLZ-rRp6uLY6ikYPAnUl7fI4P6Ehn0pgJBTEQMq~JTgCkCc9UeTr66bpIS8afB4jKIyRyft7I7Yo9HfndNEe9s06N3BBGmi0f2ZYH5VUl7uNY4~5zIh3UBIEXDFeZhjB8LnMj15uP97FoAGqH5s-QU9lQ9MU9HiFpffixprIAl402SRq-sbXoVQ3gdaW9YmClrYV~LZO2xyIlcceycz8qq44~8aKOOa9CFNQFjAKpasGuWoEtBta09CtMuRYzw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Superintendent Ward and principals recognized senior students from multiple high schools who scored 30 or higher on the ACT and presented medals during the board meeting.

The recognitions highlighted students from Centerville High School, DeSoto Central High School, Centennial High School and other district high schools. Superintendent Ward said the students’ scores reflect the work of families, teachers and school staff and noted the district planned to recognize the students as they finish high school.

Principal Jason Witt of Centennial High School introduced and named dozens of students who earned ACT scores of 30 or higher, saying the number of high scorers is “a testament to not only them, but their families, the teachers in our district.” The board paused its agenda to present medals that students may wear at graduation.

The board also received recognition from the Mississippi School Boards Association for leadership and governance. Superintendent Ward described the award as honoring “exemplary governance, visionary leadership, and a steadfast commitment to academic excellence,” and congratulated the board for the distinction.

Board members thanked students, families and staff. The recognition period concluded before the board moved on to regular business.

The meeting record lists the named students called during the presentation; the district said the medals were intended to be worn at graduation and other school ceremonies.","The DeSoto County School District honored dozens of seniors who scored 30 or higher on the ACT and recognized the school board for a leadership and governance award from the Mississippi School Boards Association.","actionData","errors"]

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Board approves IT contracts, emergency repairs, financial reports and personnel actions; moves to closed session

DeSoto County Schools reports growth in CTE applications and expands career-exploration programs

DeSoto County Schools recognize seniors with 30+ ACT scores; board honored with governance award