Elected officials work to keep MSMS on MUW campus
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Lowndes County elected officials and others are stepping up to help keep the Mississippi School for Math and Science on the Mississippi University for Women campus.
Last week the Mississippi Department of Education sent a Request for Proposal, or RFP, to house and operate MSMS to MUW and Mississippi State University.
The Department of Education will then take those proposals and make a recommendation to the State Legislature.
During last year’s legislative session, a bill was filed that would have moved the School for Math and Science from MUW to MSU. That bill died.
Many see this RFP as an end-run to resurrect that proposal.
The Lowndes County Board of Supervisors, along with MUW administrators have already met with Legislative leaders to try to head off the move, and Supervisors are trying to rally supporters to make a show of force in Jackson.
“MDE has asked for that RFP. As the Commercial Dispatch said, ‘the RFP was written in maroon ink.’ So, we kind of know how the end of that result will be. They will make a recommendation probably to the Legislature to move it. So, we need to make sure we’re contacting the leadership in the House and Senate because that’s where the recommendation goes. We’re looking to organize a trip to Jackson. We’ll take busloads of people and make our voices known, that we do not think it’s a good idea to move MSMS to Mississippi State University,” said Trip Hairston from Lowndes County Board of Supervisors.
Lowndes County Board of Supervisors president Trip Hairston pointed out that while there have been complaints about facilities at MSMS, funding for the upkeep and improvements is the responsibility of the Department of Ed.
