Harrison County officials outline Liberty Middle School plans while special-education staffing draws questions

HARRISON COUNTY — School administrators and board members spent substantial time at the meeting reviewing logistics for the new Liberty Middle School, focusing on how special-education students will be served, classroom assignments and how students will move between buildings.

Administrators said they intend to keep the “Liberty” name and colors so the community retains continuity with the high school. They described a mix of standalone classrooms and shared spaces, and said some special-education teachers will be itinerant — moving from classroom to classroom — rather than each having a dedicated room.

The discussion centered on student safety, scheduling and staff logistics. One presenting administrator said the district revised the daily schedule so teachers’ planning periods are adjacent, reducing the number of classroom moves; “we put those planning periods back to back so they can stay in the same room for two periods in a row,” the administrator said. Board members pressed for clarity about classroom assignments and whether there will be sufficient dedicated space for special-education staff.

Administrators reported projected special-education counts for next year’s middle-grade cohorts: 83 sixth-grade students (about 35 percent of that grade’s enrollment), 91 seventh-grade students (about 33 percent) and 84 eighth-grade students (about 28 percent), which the presenting administrator summarized as about 32 percent overall. They said the staff complement planned to serve those students is about 13 teachers focused mainly on special education, plus two DLM (most severe) teachers and one gifted teacher; the presenting administrator said the total staffing figure discussed was 14–16 with a working count of roughly 13 special-education teachers servicing most students.

Board members asked how students would access classrooms that have exterior doors. Administrators said some former CTE labs and work rooms can be entered from the outside and will be used selectively; on rainy days students can move through interior classrooms. The presenting administrator added the district will monitor transitional routes with staff and cameras and could post supervisors during the run-up to opening to establish routines.

Several board members and administrators emphasized consistent behavior expectations and routines. One board member said consistency among administrators and teachers will be key to maintaining order as the school opens; another urged a positive tone while executing the rollout.

The administrators also described partitioned rooms that date to the school's original construction and said some partitions have been removed or adjusted to create appropriate classrooms. They reported planning to provide separate entrances where required. An enrollment estimate for the whole school was described as “somewhere between 810 and 866,” with a working target around 825 students.

Why it matters: The board’s questions reflect two practical pressures for opening a large middle school — meeting special-education staffing needs and ensuring safe, supervised student movement between reconfigured spaces — both of which affect daily operations and student instruction.

Board next steps: Administrators said scheduling and staffing work will continue; special-education scheduling will be finalized in coordination with the district’s special-education team and leadership. The board did not take a formal vote on staffing numbers at the meeting.