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Commission approves 2025–26 district accreditation list: 119 accredited, 19 on probation
Summary
At its Oct. 14 teleconference the Commission on School Accreditation approved recommended annual accreditation statuses for the 2025–26 school year, listing 119 districts as accredited and 19 as on probation; probation triggers corrective-action requirements and possible MDE follow-up.
The Commission on School Accreditation approved recommended annual district accreditation statuses for the 2025–26 school year during a teleconference meeting Oct. 14, 2025.
"There are 119 districts with a recommended status of accredited and 19 districts with a recommended status of probation," Dr. Joanna Malone said as she presented the Office of Accreditation's recommendations to the commission.
The probation designation reflects districts with documented deficiencies under accreditation policies 2, 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3 of the Mississippi Public School Accountability Standards 2025, Dr. Malone said. Districts assigned probation are required to submit a corrective action plan within 60 days of notification that details steps to remove the cited deficiencies and the timeline for doing so; the plan must be approved by the local school board and bear signatures from the school board chairperson and the district superintendent.
Dr. Malone told commissioners that when corrective action has been implemented the district must submit documentary evidence to the Office of Accreditation, and MDE staff may conduct follow-up visits to verify compliance. She also said that districts are not downgraded to probation until they have missed the audit deadline four consecutive years; earlier misses remain on record but do not alone trigger probation.
Commissioners asked questions about audit timing and the statewide shortage of auditors. "To my knowledge at this time, there has been no talks of relief, but I do know, that they are aware of the concerns, and have been in conversations with the State Auditor's Office," Dr. Malone said, noting that CPA firms try to prioritize districts facing a potential fourth consecutive missed deadline but that delays are not always the auditors' fault.
Judge Betsy Cotton moved approval of the recommended statuses; Ingrid Williams seconded. The commission voted in favor, and the motion carried.
Commission staff said backup materials, including the list of deficiencies for the 19 districts recommended for probation, had been distributed to commissioners about two weeks before the meeting. The commission did not adopt additional policy changes as part of this vote; it recorded the annual statuses for review and follow-up under existing accreditation rules.
The commission noted it will bring cleared items back for formal removal from probation when documentary evidence and any required MDE verification are complete.
