Vicksburg Warren board approves claims docket with $360,499.54 paving payment; hears updates on curriculum, buses, federal grants and construction

The Vicksburg Warren School District Board of Trustees on Aug. 28 approved the district claims docket — including a $360,499.54 payment to Fordyce Construction for paving — accepted the July financial report and heard a series of departmental presentations about curriculum alignment, student assessment changes, bus GPS tracking, federal grant deadlines and ongoing construction work.

The board approved the claims docket with the added Fordyce invoice after a motion and voice vote. The board also voted to accept the district financial report for the period ending July 31, 2025.

Those approvals came alongside a series of informational updates from district leaders about the start of the school year and several operational changes. Superintendent Dr. Holloway said the district had completed student registration and emphasized efforts to standardize grading and align curriculum across schools, saying district leadership had worked “to make sure our grading scales are the same across the district” so “an A at Beaumont is an A at WCI, is an A at Warrenton.” He also reported the district’s administrative spending at roughly 2% of the budget — about $1.9 million — below the state cap and the state average.

Veil Watts, director of assessment, accountability and student information, summarized changes communicated at the Mississippi Association of School (MAS) conference and warned that the state’s accountability model will change. “MDE will be resetting our A through F accountability standards,” Watts said, and described a new assessment readiness index, changes to diploma point values and a higher ACT threshold for earning full accountability credit.

Keith Wolf, Assistant Director for Federal Programs, briefed the board on grant timelines and reporting. He said districts should be prepared to have fiscal year 2023–24 and 2024–25 grant funds obligated to a contract or purchase order by Sept. 30, 2025. “09/30/2025 as with every year is our obligation date for fiscal year for funds from fiscal year 23, '24,” Wolf said. He added that some awards (Title II and Title IV) had been approved but applications and draw-down access remained pending.

Transportation director Miss Taylor described new GPS units installed across the bus fleet, saying the system “gives us real time tracking 24 hours a day, 7 days a week” and provides alerts for speeding, harsh braking and other driving behaviors. Taylor said the system reduces radio traffic and that the district plans to add geofencing so parents can receive alerts when a bus is approaching a stop. Board members noted the district currently has only one electric bus in the fleet.

Nutrition director Dr. Laird told the board the district will continue participation in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which provides free meals to all students in the district, and reviewed recent vendor price trends: produce costs had fallen about 15% year-to-year in fiscal 2024–25 while milk and other items had seen double-digit increases. She said the district is exploring the state Office of Child Nutrition cooperative to gain buying power.

On finances, district staff reported July revenue for fiscal year 2026 at about $2.97 million and district maintenance expenditures at $3.71 million, and noted the district’s fund balance was roughly $3 million higher than the prior year at that reporting point. The board discussed one-time receipts from timber (stumpage) placed in the sixteenth-section fund and reminded listeners that those funds are restricted by law and may not be spent as general operating revenue.

Project architects and facilities staff updated the board on construction status. Multipurpose buildings at Warrenton and South Park were in punch-list phase with tornado-shelter shutters still pending manufacture; Redwood and Bovina were scheduled for initial punch-list inspections; Warrenton fencing was complete with possible additional fencing under contingency funds to fully enclose the campus. The architects said Bovina’s new brick wall and parking asphalt are complete and that the additional asphalt at Warren Central has held up under recent rains.

The board also heard several other routine and required reports from district directors who attended MAS, including sessions on workforce alignment, leadership development and early-grade foundations. Director Marcus James summarized communications takeaways, emphasizing proactive and consistent messaging to counter social-media rumors and “to control the narrative.”

On naming and honors, the board authorized district counsel to draft a resolution to permit naming a high-school court after a living community coach — a process the board was told requires a formal resolution because district policy typically restricts facility namings to deceased honorees unless the board waives that provision.

Votes at a glance

- Claims docket (with addition of Fordyce Construction invoice for $360,499.54) — approved (motion, voice vote). - Financial report (07/31/2025) — accepted (motion, voice vote). - Consent agenda (H and I) with exclusions — approved (motion, voice vote); H2 and H37 later considered separately and approved. - H2 (transportation authorization for student group with stated educational purpose) — approved (motion, voice vote). - H37 (resolution authorizing reclassification/public notice for leased land) — approved (motion, voice vote). - Section J (supplements and athletics) — approved with one recusal (motion, voice vote). - Policy updates (JVCD: transfers/withdrawals; CNA: access to public records) — approved (motion, voice vote). - Motion authorizing counsel to prepare a resolution to permit facility naming in the special case presented — approved (motion, voice vote).

What the board did not decide tonight

The board did not adopt a new budget or change district policy language at this meeting beyond the monthly policy updates; several projects remain in punch-list or ordering phases (tornado-shelter shutters for multipurpose gyms, certain hardware deliveries). Several items (softball-field options and final architect drawings) were presented as forthcoming at a future meeting.

The meeting included routine roll-call and minutes approvals for prior meetings and several departmental reports; no new contracts beyond claims payments and routine procurements were approved during the session.

Ending note

Board members asked staff to continue reporting specifics on construction timelines, the financial impact of state accountability changes once district modeling is complete, and any necessary follow-up about federal grant application openings so that obligations can be made by the Sept. 30 deadlines.