DeSoto updates new high school construction; district pauses health-department supply giveaway amid funding uncertainty

Dr. Bennett briefed the DeSoto County School Board at its April 28 meeting on two operational matters: progress at the new high school construction site and changes to this year's school-supply giveaway.

"Yesterday morning, they started pouring the 1st Floor," Dr. Bennett said, reporting that plumbing is in and that work on the agriculture building and the performing-arts center is moving forward. He said crews expect the project to move into polishing and finishing by summer, and that, "within 100 days of knowing that we have that fund" the district could be on track to open, depending on final funding.

On school-supply distribution, Dr. Bennett told the board the district will not partner with the health department this year because of budget constraints and uncertainty about federal funding. "Money's gonna be tighter," he said, and the district will instead reserve supplies for its own students and coordinate with local partners — he suggested staff ask Sheriff Potter to help avoid duplicative public events.

Dr. Bennett cited county examples to underscore fiscal risk, saying Blades County has a negative 9.7% fund balance and Union County is at 9.17%. He framed the supply decision as a stewardship measure: the district aims to ensure limited resources serve its students first and avoid serving out-of-county families who sometimes access giveaways.

The board did not take a formal vote on these operational updates. Members asked staff to explore the budget and timing implications; Dr. Bennett said he would follow up with more detail as funding becomes firmer.

The district did not provide exact dollar figures or a binding timeline for the high school's opening during the meeting; several timing estimates were presented as conditional on funding becoming available.