At its Oct. 16 meeting the State Board of Education approved several formal actions and reported executive-session outcomes when it returned to open session.

Policy revision process: The board voted to begin the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) process to revise the Mississippi Public School Accountability Standards (policy 2.9) to align accreditation standards with changes in statute following repeal of the Mississippi Achievement School District and to clarify procedures for districts in transformation. The Commission on School Accreditation had approved the revisions earlier in the week and staff said the proposed changes align the policy with the statute. The board motion to begin APA was seconded and approved (vote recorded as "all in favor").

Contract renewal: The board approved a renewal contract to TransAct Communications to provide multilingual parent-notification services required for federal compliance. The total contract amount presented to the board was $423,000. Board members discussed procurement oversight, review processes for ITS and DFA, and annual program-side evaluations of vendor performance; staff said programs are required to evaluate contracts annually and standard contract clauses permit termination for cause or convenience.

Consent agenda: The board approved the consent agenda items A–D and F–X as presented; item E was provided for review only and not for approval.

Executive-session actions: After an executive session, the board announced in open session that it had voted to terminate the contract with Dr. Jennifer Wilson at Holmes County Consolidated School District effective immediately for cause, and that the board appointed George Gilreath as interim superintendent for Holmes County. The board reported these actions when it returned to open session.

Other procedural items: The board authorized board members to attend the Mississippi Association of School Superintendents (MASSA) event and confirmed the next board meeting is scheduled for Nov. 20, 2025, at 10 a.m. in Jackson.

Votes at a glance
- Begin APA process for revisions to Mississippi Public School Accountability Standards (policy 2.9): motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved (all in favor).
- Contract renewal to TransAct Communications for multilingual parent notifications: motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved; amount: $423,000.
- Consent agenda A–D and F–X: approved.
- Executive-session outcomes (announced in open session): termination of Holmes County superintendent contract (Dr. Jennifer Wilson) for cause; appointment of George Gilreath as interim superintendent for Holmes County.