WINONA – After three decades of working in public education, Dr. Teresa Jackson will retire as superintendent of education of the Winona-Montgomery Consolidated School District on June 30, 2023. She submitted her notice of retirement to the WMCSD Board of Trustees on March 21.
Jackson served as superintendent of education for the Winona Separate School District from 2013 until 2018 before being named superintendent of education of the Winona-Montgomery Consolidated School District when it was formed in 2018.
“After 29 years of serving students, faculty, staff, and families in two public school districts, I am looking forward to new adventures and ways to improve educational opportunities for all students,” Jackson said.
Jackson said she is considering all opportunities where she can impact education on a greater scale and improve educational opportunities for even more students on the statewide or national level.
“I want to be able to impact education in bigger way,” Jackson said.
She said she is proud to leave the school district better than when she got here, with increased student achievement, major improvements made to the district’s schools and facilities, a safe and orderly school climate, and financial stability in the district even in the most trying economic times.
During her tenure as superintendent of education, Jackson and the district’s leadership have focused on improving student proficiency, even through challenging periods like the consolidation and the COVID-19 pandemic. However, despite those challenges, WMCSD’s students continue to exhibit growth in test subject areas, even earning state recognition for growth in fifth grade math from PREPS in 2022.
“Increasing student achievement does not just happen,” Jackson said last fall after it was announced that WMCSD improved from a D rating to a C rating on state assessments. “It takes a lot of hard work and dedication on a daily basis from students and teachers.”
Under Jackson’s leadership, the district reinvested in its two schools and school facilities.
Recently, a construction project at Winona Elementary School concluded, completely renovating bathrooms, installing new HVAC and fire alarm system, and constructing of a stage in the school’s cafeteria to better showcase student performances and educational programs.
A $7 million overhaul at Winona Secondary School is currently in the works. The funds for this project were allocated by the Mississippi Legislature, thanks to Rep. Karl Oliver (R-Winona) who led the charge to acquire the necessary funding to make the improvements.
This is in addition to the $1.89 million project with Entegrity a few years ago to make Winona Secondary School more energy efficient for students and teachers.
Jackson took lead on the consolidation of the Winona Separate School District and the Montgomery County School District in 2018.
“I was blessed to be part of history,” Jackson said. “I was the last superintendent of the Winona Separate School District, the superintendent of two school districts at one time, the only employee of a school district, and I got to create an entirely new school district.”
Jackson said the consolidation was a trying time for the entire county due to the immense change it brought for students and parents in both districts. However, everyone made it through “by the Grace of God.”
“In looking back, I think that was why God called me here,” Jackson said. “I am proud of the work that was done in building a new district to serve the needs of all students in our county.”
When the board of trustees closed the Kilmichael schools after the consolidation, the two buildings were put up for sale. God’s House of Hope, a Christ-centered drug and alcohol rehabilitation center, purchased the former Montgomery County Elementary School, and Head Start purchased the Montgomery County High School building. Today, both former schools continue to play an essential role in the community.
“We had to sell these buildings because it was the best economic decision for the district and community of Kilmichael. The missions of each organization align with their original purpose – the help families and children in Montgomery County and the surrounding area,” Jackson said.
Maintaining a safe and orderly school climate is paramount in the mission of WMCSD. Before the 2019-2020 school year, WMCSD established its own police department, consisting of full-time school resource officers stationed at each school. The Winona-Montgomery Consolidated School District Police Department and its officers have become an essential part of the district’s culture and provide students with an increased sense of security on both campuses.
“The Tiger Police, as they are known to our students, not only provide security on our school campuses and at many school events, but due to daily personal interactions, they are a positive influence on students of all ages,” Jackson said.
Creating a strong financial foundation for Winona-Montgomery Consolidated School District is something Jackson and the district’s business office has prioritized over the years. In fact, when Jackson took the helm of the Winona Separate School District in 2013, there was just $500,000 in the district’s fund balance. However, despite the cost of consolidation and the economic challenges during the pandemic, the fund balance is currently $5.3 million.
“That is due to Business Manager Amanda Gray, the business office, and our Federal Programs Director, who also serves as Assistant Superintendent, Rana Mitchell,” Jackson said.
Jackson is a graduate of Holmes Community College and Delta State University. She began her career in her hometown of Grenada in 1994 as a sixth-grade teacher at Tie Plant Elementary School. The next school year, all sixth-grade classes were moved to Grenada Middle School, where she taught for nine years. During that time, she continued her education and became a National Board-Certified Teacher and earned a master’s degree in educational leadership from Mississippi State University.
In 2003, she was named an assistant principal at Grenada Upper Elementary School, and two years later, she was named principal. During her time as principal, she earned her PhD from the University of Mississippi.
Throughout her nearly 30 years in education, Jackson said she continued to grow as educator due to her experiences as part of the Grenada County School District, Winona Separate School District, and the Winona-Montgomery Consolidated School District. Most importantly, she thankful for everyone she had the pleasure of working with over the last three decades.
“I have made many friendships over the last 29 years and look forward to making new relationships while strengthening old ones throughout the education community,” Jackson said. “I believe in public education and the students served by our schools and districts.”
“I am proud of the work that was done in building a new district to serve the needs of all students in our county. Our vision continues to be ‘Working together, Moving forward, Creating opportunities for Student success and Dynamic futures.’”