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Continued Coverage
Lamar Co. Superintendent talks school attendance
Schools across the state are doing what they can to make sure students are in the classroom.
Educators say ending history test would mean less stress
The fate of the U.S. history exit exam will be decided by MDE next month
Jim Hood tours DuBard School for Language Disorders
Democrat governor candidate Jim Hood and his team were led around the Dubard School for Language Disorders at the University of Southern Mississippi on Thursday.
Richton schools welcome new resource officer, K9
To combat threats, drugs or weapons on campus, the Richton School District partnered with the Perry County Sheriff’s Department to hire a school resource officer.
MOST RECENT
Golden Eagle Welcome Week underway at USM
Golden Eagle Welcome Week, or GEWW, is a time for new students to participate in activities and get familiar with the campus.
Covington Co. School Board names next superintendent
Ms Babette Duty will serve as Superintendent of Schools on January 1, 2020.
Southern Miss freshmen move in dorms
The University of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg campus was crowded with students and parents as USM had its freshman move-in day on Monday.
Ole Miss to open $32M campus recreation center this month
The center is free for students. Faculty, staff, alumni and community members must buy memberships.
Speech and language center opens in Laurel
Insight Speech and Language Center in Laurel officially opened its doors Thursday.
Perry County adds new after school programs
Perry County School District students now have access to three new programs.
Awning falls on students at Runnelstown Elementary; 2 injured
The students were taken to an area hospital as a precaution and have since been released.
MDE releases statewide test scores; Petal ranked among highest in state
The Mississippi Department of Education released statewide results from the 2018-19 Mississippi Academic Assessment Program.
Psychologist offers parents screen time tips for kids
Brian Hinnant has two young boys in the Petal School District. He said with his kids growing up in a digital age, there's no formula he uses to dictate when his kids can pick up their phones or games.
Routine audit uncovers “alarming business practices” at Hinds Co. school district
According to Shad White, auditors found what they described as poor controls over the district credit cards and bank accounts which had not been reconciled in nearly a year.
William Carey hosts August Commencement ceremonies on Hattiesburg campus
Dozens of students at William Carey University took part in August commencement ceremonies in Hattiesburg over the weekend.
WCU students graduate from inaugural Doctor of Physical Therapy program
Twenty-five men and women have officially graduated from the 2019 inaugural Doctor of Physical Therapy program at William Carey University.
Wayne County School Board appoints new superintendent
Tommy Branch will take over superintendent duties on Jan. 1, 2020.
District encourages drivers to be safe in school zones as classes begin
Traffic on roads around local schools is about to pick up with classes starting back up.
Don’t forget back-to-school immunizations
With school starting within a week for most kids, parents are scrambling to get prepared.
Parent, pediatrician give tips for back to school transition
Summer break is over. Whether you are the parent or the student, it’s time to get back on track and into the school routine, and it isn’t the easiest transition. Julie Clinton can tell you it involves much more than school supplies.
Salvation Army teams up with Walmart for “Stuff the Bus” in the Pine Belt
Across the country at more than 3,000 Walmart stores, a Stuff the Bus event took place in efforts of collecting school supplies for those in need.
Hattiesburg mayor announces school board nomination
Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker held a press conference Friday to announce Dr. Eddie Holloway as his nomination to the Hattiesburg School District’s Board of Trustees.
“Teacher of the Year” receives a new car
The Lamar County School District announced their “Teacher of the Year” during a ceremony held at Temple Baptist Church Friday.
Statewide teacher shortage continues as school year approaches
The Mississippi Department of Education reported 50 school districts in the Magnolia State currently lack enough educators.
Jones County Schools introduces new security enhancements
The Jones County School District has applied new security measures for faculty and visitors entering its elementary schools.
Project SEARCH holds meet and greet
A program for students with disabilities to transition into the workforce after high school
Tips for avoiding financial aid scams
Summer is winding down and a promising school year is right around the corner, but scammers are hard at work to cheat you out of your hard-earned money.
Multiple agencies take part in emergency training at Petal Upper Elementary
District Police Chief Gavin Guy wants members of the public to be aware of the exercise and not react as the planned scenarios are ongoing.
William Carey School of Pharmacy granted ‘Candidate’ accreditation status
The William Carey University School of Pharmacy is one step closer to being fully accredited.
Construction underway for storm shelters in the Petal School District
Storm shelters are being constructed at all five school properties within the Petal School District.
Wayne County School District facing financial troubles
Hard times lay ahead for the Wayne County School District.
MDE updates teacher pay raise total
The Mississippi Department of Education has raised the total number of teachers and teacher assistants that are eligible for a state-funded pay raise.
Mississippi’s Tax Free Holiday to include school supplies
Mississippi’s tax-free holiday is right around the corner, and thanks to new legislation, another category will be included in the tax break.
Solar energy coming to Forrest County school
Forrest County School District Superintendent Brian Freeman tells WDAM North Forrest High School will soon go green.
Back to school immunization fair held in the Pine Belt
Southeast Mississippi Rural Health Initiative is hosting a back to school immunization fair through Aug. 2 at several Pine Belt clinics.
$20 million in construction underway at PRCC’s Poplarville campus
It’s been a busy summer for building at Pearl River Community College’s Poplarville campus.
Lamar County teachers get supplement increase
Teachers in Lamar County will be seeing an increase in their paycheck this upcoming school year.
MDE launches TeachMS campaign to recruit new teachers
The Mississippi Department of Education is launching a new recruitment campaign to help with the teacher shortage.
USM grad new head of Southern Miss business school
A 1991 graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi and a former faculty member and dean in USM’s old College of Business is the new dean of the university’s College of Business and Economic Development.
Youth Villages looks for backpack heroes
Youth Villages in Hattiesburg is looking for backpack heroes for their annual back-to-school drive.
Mississippi recruiting teachers by sharing inspiring stories
Educators can empower and inspire generations of change. That's the theme of a new teacher recruitment campaign the state of Mississippi is launching, and they're looking for your stories.
Jones College students win gold medals at National SkillsUSA
Three Jones College students competing in the National SkillsUSA competition in Louisville, Kentucky won first place with gold medals.
School supplies now included in Miss. tax-free weekend
The Mississippi Sales Tax Holiday was amended during the 2019 Legislative Session and now includes school supplies on the list of items to be sold tax free during the last weekend of July.
Financial aid strategist walks through breaking free of student loan debt
Wearing a cap and gown and crossing the stage at a university is a moment of pride that brings a sense of security of earning a spot in the workplace. Millions of Americans feel the career they enter will support them beginning life as an adult.
Laurel School District plans to turn Nora Davis into Interactive Center
Several area partners and business owners are helping fund the Nora Davis Family Interactive Center.
Stay Up supports young adults struggling with addiction, mental illness
The Stay Up program looks to lend a helping hand to people who are struggling with addiction and mental illness.
2 Pine Belt students selected as alternates for SBE student representative program
Two Pine Belt students were selected as alternates for the Mississippi State Board of Education’s (SBE) student representative program.
Perry Co. School District receives grants for summer reading program
Perry County School District receives thousands for summer reading program
Third grade reading test scores increase after first retake
After the retest, 82.8% of students have passed, allowing the 28,968 students to advance to the fourth grade. The initial pass rate was 74.5%.
LIST: Summer feeding programs in the Pine Belt
Several school districts across the Pine Belt are doing their part to make sure no child goes hungry this summer.
FCAHS students hold vigil for classmate killed in crash
Students at Forrest County Agricultural High School held a memorial service at Grace Baptist Church in Brooklyn for their late classmate.
Alcorn State coach Fred McNair receives key to Mount Olive
The head football coach at Alcorn State University was honored by his hometown of Mount Olive on Saturday.
Oak Grove student advances to finals of National Spelling Bee
Oak Grove student Yolanda Ni will advance to the finals of the 2019 Scripps National Spelling Bee.
WDAM Investigates: Cashing in on child care
Even with some child care centers repeatedly failing state inspections, the state still allows those centers to accept the money.
Pinebelt Foundation announces scholarship recipients
Several Pine Belt students were rewarded for their hard work Thursday when the Pinebelt Foundation announced its 2019 scholarship recipients.
Petal student with Batten disease beats odds, graduates
At Petal High School’s graduation, there was triumph as students crossed the stage to begin the next chapter of their lives.
Every AG in America calls for automatic student loan forgiveness for disabled veterans
Attorney generals from across America are urging the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) to automatically forgive the student loans of veterans who became totally and permanently disabled while in service to our country.
FCAHS student killed in Hwy. 49 crash
Mississippi Highway Patrol responded to a two-vehicle crash that claimed the life of a Forrest County Agricultural High School student Wednesday night.
After graduation comes graduate school options
Commencement was last week and graduates from the University of Southern Mississippi are now alumni and are getting ready to take the next step in their lives.
WCU begins site work for new student center
Site work has begun at William Carey University on a new three-story student center.
WCU hosts six ceremonies for 2019 graduation
Hundreds of students at William Carey University have graduated in six ceremonies in Hattiesburg this week.
Mississippi expands STEM education in schools
Two Pine Belt school districts were selected to receive a share of the grant to enhance STEM programs.