Community Action Saves Local School

Tchula, MS — When funding was cut to the Holmes County School District, the Superintendent announced that Mileston Elementary School, which had served the county since 1942, would be closed.

On May 17, the community rallied to voice opposition to the school’s closing. During the board meeting, Calvin Head and Tom Collins of West Holmes Community Development Organization gave a PowerPoint presentation to persuade the board to keep Mileston open.

Calvin Head advocated that, “If the school was to close, that would create more overcrowding problems in the larger schools and more cost associated with bussing the students to surrounding areas.” Head cited a recent study by the Rural School and Community Trust, School Size: Research Based Conclusions, which links small school size with higher levels of achievement and cost effectiveness. (Read more at www.ruraledu.org)

The board was persuaded by Head’s and Collins’ argument and agreed to keep the school open and ,instead, cut overhead costs at the school district’s main office, (Visit West Holmes CDO at www.westholmes.org)