The leader of Mississippi’s largest school district has earned the state’s top honor for a superintendent. DeSoto County Schools Superintendent Cory Uselton has been named the 2026-2027 Mississippi Superintendent of the Year by the Mississippi Association of School Administrators, the district announced this week.
DeSoto County Schools shared the news in a post congratulating Uselton, calling the recognition an honor for the superintendent and for the district’s schools, staff and families across the county.
Who is Cory Uselton?
Uselton has led DeSoto County Schools since January 2016. He came up through the district’s ranks, and his time as a school leader drew statewide and national notice well before he moved into the superintendent’s office.
His earlier honors include:
2012-2013: DeSoto County Schools Principal of the Year
2013: Administrator of the Year for Mississippi’s First Congressional District
2015: Mississippi High School Principal of the Year, from the National Association of Secondary School Principals
2020: Southaven Chamber of Commerce Man of the Year
Beyond the district, Uselton serves on the Mississippi Department of Education’s Superintendents’ Advisory Council, is president-elect of the Mississippi Association of School Superintendents, and chairs the board of trustees for Northwest Mississippi Community College.
Mississippi Superintendent of the Year honor caps strong fall
The award comes just weeks after DeSoto County Schools again earned an “A” rating in the state’s 2025-2026 accountability results, released in mid-October under tougher grading standards. The district serves students in Southaven, Olive Branch, Horn Lake, Hernando, Walls, Lewisburg, Center Hill, Lake Cormorant and other communities across the county.
Being named Mississippi Superintendent of the Year adds Uselton’s name to a short list of state honors that span his career as a principal and district leader.
What the recognition means for DeSoto County
According to the district, Uselton will represent DeSoto County Schools at the regional and state levels during his year as the honoree. The district has not announced whether he will advance to any national recognition program.
For DeSoto County families, the honor is a sign of how the state’s education leaders view the district: large, growing and still producing top-rated results. Parents can find district news, calendars and school information on the DeSoto County Schools website, where the district posted its congratulations to Uselton along with a graphic marking the award.
