School district under fire for handout

The Madison County School District has come under a firestorm of criticism for a handout to parents about the state’s legislative agenda, drawing the ire of the State Auditor. 

The handout given to parents at at least one Madison County School District meeting earlier this month has received criticism as it includes the district’s preferences on political issues.

State Auditor Shad White has expressed concern that district funds were spent on a flyer that appears to be explicitly political in nature.

“This morning I will be demanding Madison Co Schools tell us how much in taxpayer funds they spent printing this garbage,” White said in a social media post that tags the school district. “Try buying some classroom supplies for your teachers instead of printing this crap.” 

The handout was reportedly given to parents, along with comments from Superintendent Ted Poore, earlier this month.

District spokeswoman Gene Graham has confirmed it was a Parent Teacher Organization meeting but did not say more about when, where or how many times the handout has been distributed.

“The superintendent visits with PTO groups throughout the year to discuss the district’s mission and plans,” Graham said. “At these meetings, he may include other topics relevant to K-12 education. Handouts are sometimes included depending on the discussion topics.”

The handout includes the school district’s logo and says “2025 Legislative Agenda” across the top.

The handout includes a “For” and “Against” column. Under the “For” column are: “teacher pay raises,” “revision of the Mississippi Student Funding Formula,” and “Increased emphasis on Career and Technical Education.”

The “Against” column mentions “education vouchers for private school tuition,” “open enrollment/school choice,” and opposing a decrease in retirement benefits through PERS.

Specifically, the handout says school choice “results in negative effects on school culture and decrease in property values.”

When asked for more information about the handout, school officials declined to comment further.

“At this time, Mr. Poore would like to reserve comment until specific legislation is introduced,” Graham said.

It is not clear if the handout references specific legislation or merely covers topics district officials expect to come up during this legislative session.

The school district has come under a firestorm of criticism on social media for the handout from parents and legislators.