Nonprofit Mississippi News Residents in Holmes County, Mississippi’s poorest county, will vote for a $15million bond referendum that would increase teacher salaries and build a high school. At a February 28 meeting, the Holmes County Consolidated Schools District board approved this referendum. The district released a statement saying that if the referendum succeeds, the funds will be used to provide a $5,000 raise across the board for teachers and build a high school. According to Mississippi Today 2017 data, Holmes County Central High School was established in 1958. It has not undergone major renovations or upgrades. “Our children strive to be high achievers. Superintendent James Henderson stated in the release that they need more qualified teachers and better technology to inspire them. Nearly 3,100 students are from the district, which is 99 percent African-American. A third of the teachers in the district are not certified, which means they haven’t met the requirements for licensure by the state. U.S. Secretary Betsy DeVos visited Delta last October to highlight the Advanced Placement program that it offers. Henderson wrote to Mississippi Today that the bond was a necessary sacrifice by the district’s taxpayers and that teachers should be paid more. Henderson stated that for too long, teachers in Holmes County and Mississippi have been underpaid. Henderson said, “I am convinced that you get what your pay for!” To attract great teachers, you must pay them what they are worth. Teacher raises are a controversial topic outside of the school district. Legislators are currently debating a bill to give teachers a $1,000 raise over a two-year period. But some say it’s too little. Henderson stated that the Holmes County bond funds would raise the first-year teacher’s salary to $40,960. The current minimum salary for a first-year teacher who has a bachelor’s degree in the state is $34,390. However, many school districts supplement their salaries with their own funds. Anthony Anderson, the school board president, stated in the release that “when the bond referendum passes we will be able pay teachers a higher salary–increasing students’ motivation, performance, and achievement.” According to Census data, 46 per cent of residents live below the poverty level in the school district. This is more than twice the state average. The median household income in the district is $20,244. Henderson stated that this does not mean we cannot take what we have and make the changes we want. As superintendent of schools, it is my responsibility to make sure that voters are informed about the spending of their tax dollars and the costs per household. He said that most homeowners will pay less than $100 a year in our case. This was in reference to an increase of tax bills. “Some of our parents spend more than that on a pair Michael Jordan’s tennis shoes. We can surely sacrifice less than $100 each year, so we can be more generous.” The vote will take place on Tuesday, August 6.