Mayor, public school superintendent hold state of the city

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – The leaders of city government and the public school system in Tupelo shared highlights of the past year and a vision for the future during a joint “State of the City” address.

Tupelo Mayor Jason Shelton and Tupelo Public School District Superintendent Dr. Rob Picou said the decision to hold a joint State of the City address focusing on education just makes sense.

“Often in speeches or programs, I emphasize housing or quality of life, but to me, it’s one and the same and it all starts with our public education system and our neighborhoods, quality of life opportunities, they’re all intertwined,” said Mayor Shelton.

Dr Rob Picou is in his first year as TPSD superintendent.

His slogan is “One Single Heartbeat.” ]

For Dr. Picou, that means getting the entire community involved in the school district.

“One of the things I’m excited about as a new superintendent in the city of Tupelo is all of the partners that reach out and want to be part of the one single heartbeat, which represents those moments in time when a group of people come and do whatever is necessary to achieve extraordinary results,” said Dr. Picou.

Both leaders also emphasized the importance of teamwork, cooperation and strong community spirit for continued success.

“To me the future of the city and the future of the school district are one in the same, we just want to stress the school district has our unwavering support and that great things are happening in our school district and city, and we have a lot to be proud of,” said Mayor Shelton.

“One thing I have learned is, everybody loves their school, parents at Lawndale love Lawndale, parents at Lawhon love Lawhon, parents and teachers at Pierce love Pierce, and everybody loves the Golden Wave. So everyone is real excited to be in Tupelo and that’s attributed to the city and work they do to make this a great community for all of us to live in,” said Dr. Picou.

While a state of the city address focusing on education is new for Tupelo, the mayor and superintendent said it is the latest example in a decades-long partnership that has benefited all residents of the All America City.

Mayor Shelton gave an abbreviated “State of the City” in February, and he has held public forums in all seven wards to get feedback from residents and chart his vision for the future.