Desoto County News

School board meets for first time in new year

DeSoto County school board members met for the first time in 2023 Thursday at Central Services in Hernando.  Thursday’s meeting was the first for new board member Josh Sullivan, replacing Milton Nichols, who retired with the end of the year. Sullivan won election to the board in November.  

It is also the first meeting of the second term for board member Michele Henley, who won reelection in the November general election. 

Both were sworn into office earlier Thursday.  

During Thursday’s session, DCS Supt. Cory Uselton said he and Academic Support and School Improvement Executive Director Amanda Samples would be meeting Tuesday with the Teachers Advisory Council regarding the tentative calendar for the 2023-24 school year. 

“We will give their recommendations to our board, mostly likely at a meeting in February,” Uselton said. 

Board member Jerald Wheeler introduced DeSoto County Sheriff’s Department Det. Jessica Palmer and Electronic Storage Device (ESD) K-9 Gilly, the first ESD K-9 animal in Mississippi.  

Palmer is part of the Mississippi Internet Crimes Against Children task force 

Gilly is trained to find all types of electronic storage, from cell phones, to computers, tablets, SD cards and hidden cameras.  

There are 94 of these types of dogs in the United States and Gilly is the first of its type in the state. 

Board items that were approved Thursday included the awarding of a contract to DeSoto Turf LLC for chemical treatment for lawn care services.  

One thought on “School board meets for first time in new year

  • Edgar F Ellingburg

    RE: Fraudulent enrollment of students from out of county/state (FES). I live in a subdivision close to 2 Desoto Schools. I routinely observe TN state (tags) parents waiting at bus drop off locations to collect their children. As is custom, politicians want to go through a legislative process to enact a law to curb the FES. This is not necessary in my opinion: Assuming that out of state parents when enrolling their kids, they must fill out state and federal documents. As adults, we are well educated that in signing/mailing false documents is a fraud crime. No new legislation is necessary, I would think.

    Reply

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