If the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District didn’t have plans to build a new high school, it’s possible the idea of relocating the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science to the MSU campus might never have moved beyond conjecture.
That idea is confirmed by reading MSU’s proposal to the Mississippi Department of Education, which asked both MSU and MUW to submit proposals for hosting the state’s residential high school for academically advanced students.
The genesis of the idea is thought to have emerged in 2023, when then-MSMS Director Donnie Cook had secretive conversations with MSU and SOCSD Superintendent Tony McGee to discuss the possible move.
But the seed of that idea may have been planted much earlier – in 2016 when the SOSCD and MSU agreed on a plan to build the Partnership School for grades 6 and 7 on property owned by the university. Through that arrangement, SOSCD was able to move into a $30-million facility without having to raise taxes, instead extending a bond set to expire to cover its $16 million share of the cost. The state legislature kicked in $10 million for the project. MSU donated the land, valued at $5 million.
Now, SOCSD’s board has passed a resolution to borrow as much as $87 million for a new high school, but surely the idea of asking voters to approve anything close to $87 million in bonds is a fool’s errand. This time around, taxes will have to be raised to pay that debt.
You can see the dilemma.
So now it’s back to the legislative trough, so SOCSD can seek much more money for a much bigger high school project adjacent to the Partnership School on the MSU campus.
But some have seen even more opportunity: the state could be leaned on for more money if a joint Starkville High School and MSMS campus was built.
MSMS and MSU are both funded by the legislature, which opens a large new revenue stream for funding a new Starkville High School that is intrinsically connected to both. Suddenly, the cost of building a high school cafeteria disappears by calling it a joint-MSMS cafeteria. It’s a pretty nifty sleight of hand.
Estimates for that joint MSMS/SHS campus run anywhere from $170 million to $200 million. Since SOSCD is approved to borrow up to $87 million, that would put the state on the hook for around $100 million. That’s a big ask.
We know of no other Mississippi school district that has succeeded in getting the legislature to fund one new school, let alone two. Every other school district has to rely on local taxpayers to pay for their schools.
In reality, there can be no new Starkville High School without considerable funding from the state.
We know that by reading the proposal MSU submitted to the Mississippi Department of Education to make its case for becoming the new home of MSMS. It is a plan that relies heavily on the presence of a new Starkville High School. In fact, there is no scenario provided in its proposal that doesn’t include the new high school.
Perhaps MSU could make a case for why it would be the best home for MSMS independent of a partnership with the SOCSD. All we know is that it did not. We believe that is intentional.
There is an old saying that goes if you want to know the real motives in politics, follow the money.
Moving MSMS to MSU isn’t a decision made with the taxpayer in mind since it is far, far more affordable to build and renovate MSMS facilities on the MUW campus than it would be to start from scratch at MSU.
Moving MSMS to MSU and Starkville has little impact on either the university or the city. With a maximum of 240 students, MSMS has no impact on a university with 23,000 students while the economic impact of MSMS would scarcely move the needle in Starkville, which reaps enormous economic benefits from those thousands of college students.
The plan to move MSMS is not about the kids, either, who lose the esprit de corps created on a small campus while becoming co-mingled with Starkville High on a large campus. Much of what makes MSMS work so well is lost in the process.
So who benefits the most from MSU’s plan?
The answer: SOCSD, which will profit at the expense of MSMS, Columbus and MUW, all of whom deserve to be treated better.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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