Superintendent Doctor Evans told the State Board of Education during its Nov. 20 meeting that the U.S. Department of Education notified states earlier that week of a restructuring that would transfer management of several Office of Elementary and Secondary Education programs to other federal agencies.

Evans said USDE later clarified that the core responsibilities for those programs will remain within the Department of Education. "We were assuring our district leaders that the core mission...has remained unchanged," Evans said, recounting MDE communications to superintendents. He told board members MDE will closely monitor federal activity and convene team meetings to share updates.

Evans also summarized other agency work: a strategic‑plan work session to finalize goals, a planned public 'report card' to measure agency progress, support for district transformation work in Holmes County and Clarksdale Municipal School District, and outreach to legislators including Sen. Rod Hickman. He noted visits to William Carey University and praised the Milken Educator Award winner Kayla Saxton.

What happens next: Evans said MDE will continue to monitor the federal changes and communicate with districts and that staff will bring strategic‑plan updates and pilot reports (including an AI pilot) to the board at future meetings.