TUNICA COUNTY, Miss. ( WJTV ) – On Thursday, June 20, the Mississippi State Board of Education (SBE) voted to request an end to the state of emergency in the Tunica County School District (TCSD) and return the district to local community control.

The SBE has governed the TCSD since 2015, when it determined an extreme emergency existed in the district and asked the governor to declare a state of emergency. They said the district was in violation of 25 of the 31 accreditation standards the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) reviewed. Accreditation audits found serious deficiencies in special education, federal programs, instructional programs, career technical education and district governance.

SBE-appointed interim superintendent Dr. Margie Pulley has led the district since 2015, during which time she implemented high-quality instruction, sound financial management and brought all accreditation standards into compliance.

Under Pulley’s leadership, officials said the district’s accountability grade improved to a C in 2015-16 after a four-year track record of D and F grades. The district further improved its grade to a B in 2021-22 and 2022-23.

The return to local control transfers responsibility for leading the district to the new TCSD board. The new school board includes five former advisory board members who the SBE appointed in November 2022 to help prepare the district to transition back to local control. The advisory board members will begin serving as voting school board members beginning July 1.

During the spring, the advisory board conducted a search for a new superintendent. The board will officially appoint its preferred candidate on July 1.

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