MDE awards $110,300 contract for MSIS 2 training and nearly $855,000 in grants

Kim Wiggins, director of compliance sitting in for Felicia Gavin, presented three procurement and grant items. Wiggins described a contract with Creative Distillery to develop technical and training videos and user guides to support MSIS 2 and broader MDE operations. "The total contract value is $110,300 and the name is just Creative Distillery," Wiggins said. The board approved the contract by voice vote.

Wiggins also presented two grants for approval. The first proposed competitive grants to onboard three new early learning collaboratives with a total award amount of $792,500. The second proposed an award of $62,500 to the Mississippi School Boards Association to provide basic training and continuing education for local school boards as required by state statute. Board members asked about the MSBA training content and staff explained MDE staff and accreditation personnel often participate in those sessions. Both grants were approved and incorporated into the consent agenda, which the board approved by voice vote.

These items were processed through the office of the chief operations officer and approved as part of the consent agenda; the transcript records approval by voice vote but does not show a roll-call tally.