Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District with Mississippi State University. Research, planning, fundraising, and development of a Partnership School focused on teacher training and hands-on learning.

The Partnership School combines the resources of the Starkville-Oktibbeha School District and Mississippi State University and reimagines middle school and teacher training in Mississippi and beyond. A cornerstone of the plan for consolidation of the Starkville and Oktibbeha School Districts, this innovative, collaborative learning facility is under construction on a 43-acre, university-donated school site on the MSU campus. The $30 million, 128,000 square foot school is funded through local and state bonds and private support from MSU alumni and friends. All sixth and seventh grade students in the Starkville Oktibbeha School District will attend The Partnership School. While there are schools located on university campuses, they are usually run by the university and serve only a small segment of the population, such as children of university faculty members. The Partnership School, however, will serve every child in the school district and will be operated by the school district. This unique partnership is designed to maximize hands-on learning opportunities with easy access to academic and cultural resources on the university campus. The Partnership School also invests in solving Mississippi’s teacher shortage and addressing teacher preparedness. The Starkville Oktibbeha School District and Mississippi State University have partnered to build the premiere experience for teacher training in the Southeast. With state-of-the-art research, observation, and classroom space, The Partnership School provides educators and teachers in training with the opportunity to innovate, test, and shape real-world best practices. The Partnership School is a cornerstone piece of our state’s ability to recruit and retain the next generation of excellent teachers. Our District, our University, our State and our greater Starkville community have set a ground breaking example of how community-centered consolidation can create greater opportunities for every child with The Partnership School.