This often used phrase is either rightfully or wrongfully attributed to the New York Yankees Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra, among his other “Yogisms.”

Lowndes County, Columbus, and the Mississippi University for Women would be wise to adopt this 24 hour clarion call to action.

The community was blindsided in the legislative session of 2024 by the filing of three bills: 1) to move the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science from MUW to Mississippi State University; 2) to mandate Institutions of Higher Learning Board to close three universities; and 3) to require taxpayers of Mississippi to construct a new Starkville High School using the inclusion of MSMS on the campus as the window dressing to gain approval. To my knowledge, not one leader of our community was aware of, or was included in any talks, discussion or planning prior to the filing of these bills. We have since learned the MSU administration even authorized the preparation of a white paper which promoted the renaming of MUW to “Workforce University” as reported by The Commercial Dispatch. Two of the aforementioned bills were filed by Senators from South Mississippi with no fear of political retribution. Furthermore, the infrastructure needs at MSMS are being touted as a reason to move the school.

I incorporated the MSMS Foundation and served as its president and on the board until a few years ago. One of our children is also a graduate of MSMS. The school was located on the MUW campus for a number of reasons. Our board recommended a separate Board of Trustees from the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) so that MSMS would not be limited academically by rules that didn’t fit with the mission of MSMS or be dependent on MDE for every penny of budget needs. MDE has the responsibility to ensure the success of MSMS both academically and financially. MDE and the State of Mississippi have failed to maintain, update and improve the infrastructure for this state of the art residential school which educates our best and brightest. Some years, because of budgetary constraints, the school was unable to enroll a full class and many students were denied admission due to the shortage of funds. In addition, MUW is wrongfully targeted for the condition of the facilities by the proponents of the relocation of MSMS.

It is a bad idea and unnecessary risk to move MSMS to MSU. MSMS has 37 years on the MUW campus where it has excelled in all areas. Millions of dollars in scholarships have been accepted and our students have attended the finest universities and colleges in our country.

There is no doubt the movement of MSMS is being made, not with the best interests of the school in the forefront, but rather the betterment of the economies of Oktibbeha County, Starkville and MSU. That is without question based on the bill introduced to fund the new Starkville High School.

Our students already have sports and internships with MSU professors and have had for years. Like any high school, the students do not spend all day every day with those professors.

It is a bad idea to integrate 16 and 17 year old high school students into a major college campus like MSU. MUW has provided a safe and academically excellent home for MSMS for 37 years.

It is a bad idea to expect the taxpayers all over Mississippi to underwrite and fund a new Starkville High School when they must pay bond costs locally for their own schools.

It is an incredibly bad idea for a sister county, city and community to engage in clandestine backroom plans to “steal” an important asset from one of the three counties of the Golden Triangle Development LINK. It doesn’t take someone with a crystal ball to predict the impact of this move on MSMS, MUW, Lowndes County and Columbus. The way this has been planned and executed, without any prior knowledge and input from the area stakeholders is egregious and not befitting of an already prosperous and economically powerful sister county.

Another phrase often used is the “best defense is a good offense.” This has been attributed to George Washington but has been used many times by athletic coaches. MUW needs to instruct its Alumni Foundation to contact and urge every member, family member and friend of the university to contact their legislators and make their position known by every means possible.

The Lowndes County Board of Supervisors and Columbus City Council should pass a joint resolution condemning this purported move and the ill conceived means behind it.

Our legislative delegation should immediately file bills to keep MSMS on the MUW campus and direct MDE to immediately fund the infrastructure needs and annual budgets which have been so woefully neglected. In addition, there should be a bill establishing MSMS as an independent residential high school with its own Board of Trustees made up of persons with the best interests of MSMS foremost and not just for their own economic gain.

We urge those proponents of this move to instead join with us in securing the continuing bright future of the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science on the MUW campus.

Jim Davidson is a retired judge for the 14th Chancery District in Mississippi. He resides in Columbus and has worked in various capacities in support of Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science. He can be reached at [email protected].

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