Kate Royals - Mississippi Today | Delta Democrat-Times

Declining enrollment, increased absences threaten public school funding

By Kate Royals - Mississippi Today, READ MORE > 1,195 Reads
On Fri, 01/08/2021 - 10:26 AM

Schools across the state saw massive drops in student attendance in the fall semester, and more than half of Mississippi school districts appealed to the state superintendent of education with concerns about their funding as a result.

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Mississippi launches telehealth, teletherapy pilot in schools as ‘a way to keep kids learning’

By Kate Royals - Mississippi Today, READ MORE > 11,174 Reads
On Tue, 12/29/2020 - 10:00 AM

For children in some areas of Mississippi, a visit to the pediatrician can mean an hour-long drive and missed class time. Some parents miss work or lack access to transportation, and in the worst cases, the child never makes the appointment at all.

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No background checks, misspending and an ‘adults only’ party: State auditor report alleges ‘widespread problems’ in Holmes Co. schools

By Kate Royals - Mississippi Today, READ MORE > 7,707 Reads
On Wed, 12/23/2020 - 11:53 AM

The state auditor’s office earlier this month uncovered extensive misspending and poor financial management and record keeping in the Holmes County Consolidated School District.

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Magnet student Amerie Thomas, 10, mixes colorful volcanoes using vinegar, baking soda and food dye.

Pay for new, mid-career teachers in Mississippi ‘extremely low’ compared to other Southern states

By Kate Royals - Mississippi Today, READ MORE > 6,964 Reads
On Wed, 12/23/2020 - 09:44 AM

A first-year teacher in Mississippi will take home an average of $25,500. By their 15th year on the job, that number only rises to around $27,000, according to new data from the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB).

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Education groups rip Speaker Gunn’s massive tax proposal

By Kate Royals - Mississippi Today, READ MORE > 411 Reads
On Wed, 02/24/2021 - 05:01 PM

Mississippi’s leading education advocates are unanimously critical of a massive House plan that would fundamentally change the state’s tax structure, expressing concern that it cuts public education funding in the long run.

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‘I had faith that the system was going to protect her’: Law enforcement, advocates say abusers are under-charged in domestic violence situations

By Kate Royals - Mississippi Today, READ MORE > 448 Reads
On Fri, 02/19/2021 - 12:26 PM

This article is the second in a series about how the criminal justice system fails domestic violence victims in Mississippi.

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A life taken and a childhood lost: The devastating effects of domestic violence

By Kate Royals - Mississippi Today, READ MORE > 1,984 Reads
On Fri, 02/05/2021 - 11:06 AM

This article is the first in a series about how the criminal justice system fails domestic violence victims in Mississippi.

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Teachers and first responders next in line for vaccine, officials say, though timing is unclear

By Kate Royals - Mississippi Today, READ MORE > 418 Reads
On Thu, 02/04/2021 - 10:21 AM

Officials said Monday they cannot say when teachers and first responders will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, but they are next in line.

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Charter schools receive taxpayer dollars. Should their board members follow state ethics laws?

By Kate Royals - Mississippi Today, READ MORE > 4,002 Reads
On Wed, 01/20/2021 - 05:50 PM

The Mississippi Ethics Commission says charter school board members are subject to state ethics laws, which prohibit conflicts of interest that could lead to the misspending of public dollars.

But several operators and advocates of Mississippi charter schools, which receive taxpayer funding, say they should be exempt from those laws.

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