Local superintendent unveils plan to help school district continue to grow and excel

NOXUBEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Friday marked one year since Governor Phil Bryant declared a state of emergency in the Noxubee County School District.

The district went under state control because of numerous financial, personnel and safety issues.

As a result, Superintendent Rodriguez Broadnax was brought in to get the school district back on track.

Nearly one year since the takeover, Broadnax said the district now as a reason to celebrate because significant progress is being made.

“We’re celebrating the start of a new year, we’re putting some things behind us,” said Broadnax.

NCSD is still under state control.

However, during Thursday’s State Of The Schools Address, Broadnax said they’re already making huge improvements, both academically and financially.

“If we look at the fund balance when I arrived it was $883,000 in the negative, there was a deficit of $883,000,” Broadnax recalled. “Today the fund balance is at $2.6 million. The cash flow was at $170,000 when I arrived last year, today our cash flow is $3.3 million.”

Though those numbers were right where the district wants them to be, the superintendent said it took some tough decision making to get to this point.

“We had to close a couple of schools,” the superintendent explained. “We had to have a reduction of force, and we really came together to make sure our budget stayed intact.”

During his speech, Broadnax unveiled his five-year strategic plan to keep the school district moving on the right path.

Goal number one is to increase student achievement through accountability, academic growth, and effective instruction.

Goal number two is to recruit, select, hire, and retain highly effective personnel.

Goal number three is to become financially sound through effective budgeting and spending practices.

Goal number four is to create a culture and climate that engages all stakeholders to produce an environment that is conducive to learning.

Lastly, he wants to improve and sustain the technology infrastructure to support student learning outcomes.

The school district hopes to become a “B” district by the end of the upcoming school year, and if they follow this plan, district leaders are confident they’ll accomplish their goal.

“You can have a rural community and you can have successful schools that may not have been successful, but you can turn it around and make it an “A,” said Broadnax.

The school district is also rebranding itself.

NCDS now as a new logo and school website.

Another area the district made improvements to is teacher staffing.

When the new school year begins, NCSD will have nearly every teaching position filled.

By the 2021 school year, Broadnax said his goal is for them to be an “A” district.