Ole Miss and basketball coach Kermit Davis have parted ways, the university announced Friday, Feb. 24, 2023.
Ole Miss and basketball coach Kermit Davis have parted ways, the university announced Friday, Feb. 24, 2023.
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Education
Tupelo, Lee County superintendents consider solutions for chronic absenteeism
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Blake Alsup
Reporter
In this file photo from August 2022, a Mooreville High School student gets off the bus for his first day of school. School district leaders say building relationships between students and teachers, and helping students understand the value of face-to-face instruction, are key to helping reverse growing absenteeism.
In this file photo from May 2022, a Tupelo High School senior is silhouetted against afternoon sun as he and his classmates line up for the school's graduation ceremony at the BancorpSouth Arena in Tupelo. Although school districts like Tupelo's and Lee County's could enact policies that automatically fail students who miss too many days of school, district leaders say this won't fix the problem of chronic absenteeism.
TUPELO — Local school leaders are looking for ways to keep kids in the classroom after recent data showed Tupelo Public School District and the Lee County School District had higher rates of chronic absenteeism than the statewide average.
According to a report released in early February from the Mississippi State Department of Education, the state's average chronic absenteeism rate was 28% for the 2021-2022 school year.
TPSD's overall rate was 36.37% — more than 8 points above the state average; LCSD's rate was 29.47%, or just under 2 points higher.
Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10%, or 18 days, of the 180-day school year, for any reason. This includes both excused and unexcused absences, as well as suspensions.
Effects of pandemic still felt
TPSD Superintendent Rob Picou said he believes some of his school district’s absenteeism may be remnants of the COVID-19 pandemic, which upended school schedules and often forced students to attend classes remotely. Picou said it's taking some time to get students re-engaged after disruptions caused by the pandemic.
Some students, Picou said, grew accustomed to the idea of missing school for extended periods, whether or not they're sick. Others became comfortable completing assignments online and do so rather than coming to school.
"During the pandemic, we got used to doing things through Canvas," Picou said, referencing an online learning management system used by the district. "And many kids can miss some school and keep up with their class."
Students simply learn differently in 2023 than they did before the start of the pandemic in 2020, the superintendent said. So while the pandemic isn't directly causing absences to the extent that it once did, it has shifted attitudes that continue to affect learning three years later.
The pandemic took a sledgehammer to everything. The traditional educational model was no exception.
LCSD Superintendent Coke Magee also sees residual effects of the pandemic affecting school attendance, but noted that not all student absences were for the entire day. Many can be attributed to students who came to school on any given day but checked in late or checked out early.
Rather than measuring instructional time, Mississippi law requires that a student be present for at least 63% of the instructional day to be considered present.
"We have kids that check in, check out, and may not be missing instructional time," Magee said. "But due to the way the formula works, they're counted absent."
No easy solutions, school leaders say
While school district leaders could enact a policy that would automatically fail students who miss a certain number of days, Picou said that wouldn’t fix the root problem.
Finding a solution isn't that simple, and it's going to take educators, parents and students pulling in the same direction to get things back on the right track, the superintendent said.
A part of the solution is creating an engaging academic program with high expectations. Another is developing relationships with students and getting them involved in extracurricular activities so that they want to be in school.
Building relationships and trust with students and communities is a key part of improving absenteeism in LCSD.
"We've got to stress the importance of face-to-face instruction with a highly qualified teacher," Magee said. "We've got to make sure that's the expectation."
Crime-law-enforcement
MDOT: School district responsible for flashing lights that weren't working on day officer was killed
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William Moore
Reporter
This file photo from Jan. 20, 2022, shows a sign just east of Shannon Primary School intended to warn drivers of the need to slow down because of the school's proximity. Although the sign should have flashing caution lights, they were not operational on the day this photo was taken. The reflective signs had been removed from the mangled old pole and placed on a new one just feet away.
Verona Assistant Police Chief Johnny Patterson
In recent months, new speed limit signs featuring solar powered LED lights have been installed on Highway 45 on both sides of Shannon Primary School.
TUPELO – The Mississippi Department of Transportation says it was not responsible for fixing the broken flashing lights that failed to warn motorists to slow down as they neared Shannon Primary School, potentially contributing to the death of a school resource officer last year.
A motorist traveling at speed along the four-lane Highway 45 ran into veteran law enforcement officer Johnny Patterson, who was directing afternoon traffic in January 2022. He later died from his injuries.
Last month, Patterson’s sons filed a wrongful death lawsuit naming Lee County and the Mississippi Department of Transportation as defendants, asking for unspecified damages. In their suit, they argue that the yellow/amber lights on the warning sign that read “School, speed limit 45, when flashing” were nonoperational at the time of the wreck, leading to the death of their father.
In court documents filed this month, MDOT said it was only responsible for the reflective metal traffic sign. The onus of repairing the nonoperational lights fell on the school district.
In the state agency’s response to the lawsuit, MDOT said the warning sign is actually two components. The post and signage are the responsibility of MDOT. The lights and the choice of whether the reduced speed is “When Children Present” or “When Flashing” are the property and responsibility of the Lee County School District.
MDOT and The Lee County School District signed an agreement more than two decades ago specifying the type of sign, the wording and the lighting. Then Lee County School Superintendent Johnny Green signed the agreement Oct. 29, 2002.
The document said “the maintenance (of the sign) and electrical service bill will be the responsibility of the Lee County School District.”
“(MDOT) does not in any way assume the maintenance and upkeep of the (sign),” the agreement says. “Nor will (MDOT) be held responsible for any damage.”
While deflecting responsibility for the nonoperational lights, MDOT said the failure to have operating lights did not constitute a dangerous situation because there were “numerous other warnings to reduce speed." These included Patterson’s school resource officer car, which was sitting in front of the school and has functioning flashing blue lights.
On Jan. 13, 2022, Patterson’s car was parked in the right lane of U.S. Highway 45 in front of the school with its lights flashing to force the afternoon traffic to slow down and move into the left lane as the school let out for the day.
A northbound car going an estimated 75 mph hit the rear of Patterson’s car, knocking it into the officer as he was standing in the road directing traffic. Patterson was transported to the hospital in critical condition; he died about a week later.
“We haven’t been able to determine when the sign was damaged, but Mr. Patterson had complained to others before the accident about the speed of cars, especially northbound cars headed toward Tupelo,” said Booneville attorney Thomas Cooley, who filed the suit on behalf of Patterson’s sons, Cody and Corey Patterson.
The lawsuit accuses the defendants of failing to maintain the speed reduction sign, failing to inspect the sign, failing to remedy the dangerous situation and negligence. In their response to the lawsuit, MDOT suggests that the school district be added as a defendant.
At some point before the wreck, the original caution sign with large incandescent flashing lights was apparently severely damaged. The three reflective signs were removed from the mangled pole and attached to a new galvanized pole that was installed about 10 feet away. The black square bases for the lights were added at the top and bottom, but the lights were never reinstalled.
Within the last few months, new caution signs have been installed on both sides of Shannon Primary School. The new signs include solar panels to power the eight LEDs that flash in the morning and afternoon to alert drivers of the school zone and the reduced speed limit.
News
Longtime business owner Lisa Hawkins named Junior Auxiliary's Outstanding Citizen of the Year
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Caleb McCluskey
Reporter
Lisa Hawkins reacts as she realizes that she has named the 2023 Outstanding Citizen of the Year by the Junior Auxiliary of Tupelo at this year's Charity Ball at Cadence Area in Tupelo.
Lisa Hawkins gets a big hug from a friend as she realizes that she has been named the 2023 Outstanding Citizen of the Year at this year's Junior Auxiliary's Charity Ball at Cadence Arena.
Lisa Hawkins accepts the 2023 Outstanding Citizen of Year from the Junior Auxiliary of Tupelo, Friday night at Cadence Arena.
Lisa Hawkins begins to react as she realizes that she has named the 2023 Outstanding Citizen of the Year by the Junior Axillary of Tupelo at this year's Charity Ball at Cadence Area in Tupelo.
Lisa Hawkins accepts the 2023 Outstanding Citizen of Year from the Junior Auxiliary of Tupelo Friday night at Cadence Arena.
TUPELO — A longtime business owner, teacher, community leader and former Junior Auxiliary President has been presented with the Junior Auxiliary of Tupelo’s prestigious 2023 Outstanding Citizen of the Year award.
Lisa Hawkins was named Outstanding Citizen of the Year during the organization’s 60th annual Charity Ball, Friday night in Tupelo.
"I am so blessed and overwhelmed," she said, fighting tears. "We have so many come before us that have made this community. They call it the Tupelo spirit, and it exists all throughout. We were a poor, poor little area in Mississippi, and now we are so blessed. ... I thank y'all for this honor, and I just pray that we can continue to grow and new generations will come that enjoy the benefits of the work that you all have done."
Hawkins, a Tupelo native, returned to her hometown after graduating from the Mississippi University for Women with a Bachelor of Science and a Master’s degree in Nursing. She is the owner of Room to Room Furniture and the former owner of Velveteen Rabbit and a former nursing instructor at Itawamba Community College.
Hawkins is the vice chairperson of the CREATE Foundation, a founding and current member of the Sanctuary Hospice House board and a member of Journal Publishing's board of directors. She currently volunteers for Eight Days of Hope, the United Way, Regional Rehabilitation and many other nonprofits.
“Not only does the outstanding citizen give her time, but she also gives her nursing expertise to help our community,” said Nicole McLaughlin, president of Junior Auxiliary Tupelo. “You are an encouragement to others. We thank you for all that you do for Tupelo, our community and our neighbors. We consider you one of our heroes.”
Throughout the years, Hawkins has served as the president of Tupelo Junior Auxiliary, President of the Boys & Girls Club of Northeast Mississippi, a chairperson for United way, and chair of the 50K Giveaway and took part in the Regional Rehabilitation Santa fundraiser. She's been a past president of CDF and a past board member for Northeast Mississippi Medical Center’s corporate board. She also served as a commissioner of the Tupelo Housing Authority.
Hawkins has received multiple awards over the years, including the 2021 Red Rasberry Humanitarian Award, Home Furnishings Association’s Retailer of the Year and National Junior Auxiliary’s Volunteer of the Year.
In her recommendation letter, Terri Stewart praised Hawkins for a lifetime of community service.
“I do not feel there could be a better person to be honored by Junior Auxiliary as Citizen of the Year,” Stewart wrote. “The seeds she has planted and the difference she has made in our community will forever leave an impact on every person and every organization that she has been a part of.”
