Clinton - February 2018

The CHALKBOARD
CLINTON PUBLIC SchoolS
CPSD Provides Excellence
in Education to All Students
When many Mississippi communities were
faced with integration, they experienced “white
flight” and the rise of private academies. Broadbased
community support dwindled for public
schools in these areas, and the social and economic
impacts were devastating, for generations.
That was not the case in Clinton. And for nearly
five decades, our community and our public schools
have not only survived but thrived as a result.
Under the visionary leadership of Dr. Virgil Belue,
CPSD at its start made structural choices to ensure
equity for all students regardless of any socioeconomic
factors.
Today, we hold students to high standards at all
grade levels, in all classes and programs. We fill our
schools with highly qualified teachers so that all
students receive the tools they need to be successful.
We are leading in instructional technology and we
provide ongoing training and support for faculty
as they integrate technology in day-to-day teaching.
We offer competitive athletics programs, nationally
recognized performing arts and academic
opportunities second to none.
We are not a monolithic institution, serving
one group or another. We provide excellence in
education to ALL children enrolled in our schools.
And our students rise to the high expectations we
set for them. This is evident in myriad ways, shown
in the awards and recognitions our students earn:
The Attaché show choir at Clinton High
School is ranked No. 1 in America and consistently
wins Grand Champion at state, regional and
national competitions. Our junior show choir,
The Ambassadors, wins national championships
annually at the junior level.
The Clinton Arrows football team is the 2016-17
6A State Champion team, and so are our Lady
Arrows and Arrows track and field teams. Members
of the class of 2017 graduated with nearly $3 million
in scholarships to colleges and universities across
the country. There were 53 students – 17 percent
of the senior class – in National Honor Society.
49 earned a President’s Award for Educational
Excellence for holding a 90 or higher average for
four years and a 24 or higher on the ACT. We
already have two students in the class of 2018 who
have scored a perfect 36 on the ACT, and four
others have scored 35.
In addition to the awards and honors our
students receive, our district is filled with highly
qualified faculty – and nearly half of our faculty
(48 percent) have advanced degrees. Our teachers
at all grade levels provide innovative and engaging
lessons for students, and we set high standards for
students to meet.
We are blessed with a high level of support
from families, local businesses, churches, elected
officials and community organizations, and we do
not take this for granted. For CPSD to remain strong,
it is crucial for the Clinton community to remain
invested in its public schools and help maintain
this standard of excellence. Without that investment
and support, history tells us that our community
will suffer.
We have many reasons to be proud of our schools
and community, and it’s a great time to be an
Arrow. Clinton has long been a leader in education
and with your support that trend will continue.
42 • February 2018