FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
General Questions
Yellow Jacket students deserve a facility that can match, house and support the growing number of learning opportunities the district provides in advanced academics, visual and performing arts and extracurricular activities.
Discussions of the need for a new high school have been ongoing for a number of years. The current high school facility is nearing capacity for the district's 9th-12th grade student population and does not offer room for possible growth the city of Starkville and Oktibbeha County may experience in the coming years. In addition, the current facility is inadequate in providing performing arts, rehearsal, assembly and presentation spaces that students are able to experience at other high school facilities across the state. As economic and community developers work to support the growth of the greater Starkville area and the expansion or recruitment of new business and industry, a quality, state-of-the-art high school facility will become a much-needed asset in workforce development.
Our current projected date of completion for the new high school is Summer 2028. However, this projection is subject to change based on availability of materials and weather-related considerations.
In addition to needed classroom, administrative, cafeteria and common spaces, the new Starkville High School will feature a 900-seat Performing Arts Center with auditorium and "black box" theater. A music and visual arts wing will house rehearsal and lab spaces for band, chorus, piano, sculpture, photography and visual arts instruction. The facility includes a main Gymnasium with street-level public access as well as a practice gym. Phase III of the project includes a proposed field house and covered practice field and track.
Partnership with Mississippi State
The decision to build the new high school on the Mississippi State campus expands on a very successful partnership established through the existing Partnership School more than ten years ago. The new high school's proximity to campus will afford students greater opportunities to take dual enrollment courses, utilize university lab and research spaces, experience STEM opportunities, and interact with professionals and instructors in a variety of fields of study.
In addition, as we see more of our students choosing to pursue higher education after high school, the advantages of being able to experience college opportunities and access to a network of collegiate staff will position them for greater success – particularly for those who are first generation college students. While public education has long asked the question, "how do we prepare students for college?," SOCSD is excited to be on the forefront of a shift that asks, "how many opportunities can we provide students while they are still attending high school?" Whether career-centered programming, advanced research collaborations or dual enrollment courses to earn college credit, the new Starkville High School on MSU's campus will give students a future-ready focus with the opportunities and proximity to match.
Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Mississippi State University in 2025 that outlines the provision of land adjacent to the Partnership School on which the high school is being built. In addition, the MOU establishes a preliminary agreement between the district and university to develop possible joint programming for Starkville High students that might include the use of university lab spaces and resources as well as the expansion of dual enrollment opportunities.
The new facility will connect to the Partnership School, and we will continue to work out details related to the current MSU College of Education presence in that part of the facility, but there are no other facility requirements related to our partnership with MSU.
There is no new construction dedicated to the partnership with MSU, and nothing has been added to the building for MSU partnership purposes.
The district maintains ongoing partnerships with Mississippi State University that span all schools and grade bands. The partnership to build a new high school expands on many of these successful endeavors. In practical terms, the MSU partnership for the high school project has provided the land required to house district needs in a location that will be highly recognizable and attractive to the community as well as visitors from other schools across the state, while also giving students expanded opportunities at their back door. The learning opportunities available to students as they attend a school with close proximity to the resources of a college campus are unmatched.
No, the new high school will be autonomous and fully operated by the Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District just as each of the other SOCSD campuses are operated.
Funding & Fiscal Considerations
SOCSD provided an initial $10 million to begin the site work for the project. In addition, the Mississippi Legislature allocated $4 million to the project during the 2026 legislative session. In May 2026, the district Board of Trustees authorized the issuance of bonds in the amount of $101 million dedicated to the project.
Yes, the district's $101 million bond issue will require at least some tax increase for county land-owners and businesses. We are not able to determine the estimated amount of the increase until the Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors receives updated assessed property values from the state of Mississippi anticipated in August 2026.
State law requires the district to publicly advertise its intent to issue bonds for a three-week period. During that time, citizens may petition the district to hold a bond referendum by the collection of signatures numbering at least 20% of the qualified electors in the district. This process is outlined by state law.
The district completed the required advertisement of the intent to issue bonds. Because no petition was submitted, a bond referendum was not required for the SOCSD Board of Trustees to authorize the issuance of bonds.
Operations & Logistics
New construction will create a unified campus incorporating the existing Partnership School and will house all 9th-12th grade students.
Yes, the location of some grade levels is likely to change when construction is complete and 9th-12th grades move to the new facility. The district is actively evaluating existing facilities as well as incorporating future needs and the opportunity for creative solutions into our discussions of grade configurations. We will share a reconfiguration plan once it has been finalized.
Yes, the current Partnership School has been incorporated into construction plans for the new high school. Once the facility is complete, 6th and 7th grade middle school students will no longer be housed at the university site.
Although our full reconfiguration plans have not been finalized, we anticipate that the current high school facilities will house two or more grade levels. Some hands-on career and technology laboratory spaces that are currently housed at Millsaps Career and Technology Center will likely remain in place. In addition, athletic facilities will continue to be used to host competitions, physical education classes and some practices.
Yes, we anticipate that the current baseball, football, and softball stadiums as well as the current tennis courts located on Victory Lane will remain in active use for competitions and some practice needs.
We anticipate that a few Career and Technical Education (CTE) lab-based courses may remain at Millsaps Career and Technology Center on the current high school campus with students being transported for a portion of the school day. This approach will make it more feasible for the district to expand those programs along with companion learning experiences to students in younger grades. In addition, some athletic blocks will continue to meet at current high school facilities with students being transported for a portion of the school day.
Yes, Phase II of the construction project includes new gym spaces for competition, practice and auxiliary needs that will house Jacket basketball, volleyball and other indoor varsity sports. Phase II also includes the completion of a large outdoor practice field. In addition, Phase III of the project includes the addition of a new covered field and track practice facility, field house and auxiliary facilities to serve Jacket track, football, soccer and other outdoor sports. By incorporating these athletic facilities in the final phase of construction, the district will be able to re-evaluate their inclusion in the project as we know more about changing building and materials costs over the full life of the construction process.
Construction Process
Yes, for completion of the high school project, we currently anticipate the following three phases of construction:
Phase I - Site Package
Tree removal, earth work and site preparation
Began in April 2026
Phase II - Building Package
Primary new construction to include academic spaces, Performing Arts Center, Gyms and office/auxiliary spaces
Projected start date - July 2026
Phase III - Athletic Package
Construction of proposed practice field/track, field house and auxiliary spaces
Projected start date - April 2027
We anticipate the new high school construction zone will be active on the north edge of the Partnership School campus for the duration of the 2026-2027 school year. However, we do not anticipate a direct impact to any school activities or learning. As part of the construction zone, Partnership School carpool and bus routes will begin the school year with slight modifications that utilize existing parking lots to accommodate construction work in needed areas. Construction fencing will remain in place during the school year, and the district will update parents on any changes to traffic flow as the project progresses.
