From business owners to elected officials, the Vicksburg Warren School District’s proposed $83 million bond referendum has found widespread, unanimous support amongst community leaders in Warren County.

The bond referendum must pass with more than 60 percent of the vote during Tuesday’s special election. If it passes, the bond will fund a large portion of a planned $131.5 million facilities upgrade throughout the district.

The remaining $48.5 million will be funded as existing debt from the construction of the two mega schools — Sherman Avenue and Dana Road — rolls off the books.

At their meeting Monday, the Vicksburg Warren Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Director’s unanimously voted to support the bond, according to a release from Chamber director Pablo Diaz.

The Chamber of Commerce has made substantial investments to fund VWSD programs in recent years including Leader in Me, Project Lead the Way and the Ford Next Generation partnership. Chamber board president Nick Jones said the board believes those programs, “Will continue to provide impactful results for the benefit of all children in Warren County. Furthermore, it is our strong belief that the proposed investments that will be paid through the bond issuance will enhance those programs and support faster and better learning for all Warren County children.”

A release from the Chamber of Commerce announcing the board’s support for the bond said the board had a lengthy discussion about the bond and looked at where the money would be used, why it is needed and the expected outcomes before voting to support the referendum.

According to the release, the board determined that the next step in improving the education system in the community will require a sizable investment by the community and, “after recognizing that the district has to catch up to decades of delayed maintenance, and after considering that we must support our community’s education system to be able to provide the world class workforce needed in today’s competitive business environment, the board concluded that this is a worthy investment to bring our facilities up to the standards of the best education centers in the state and the country.”

The Chamber of Commerce is joined in its support by Vicksburg Mayor George Flaggs Jr. who said he supports the bond referendum, “100 percent because of the fact that I know the importance of educating and educating in the right environment.”

Flaggs, who is in his second term as mayor, said seeing the school district improve has been the city’s number one priority since he took office because of the important role education plays in economic development and the growth of the city.

“I am for it,” Flaggs said of the bond. “I am absolutely for it. The buildings in the school system are absolutely outdated. We have to try to update. The mistake we’ve made is we have not updated our facilities as we’ve grown. The important part is it is on the table.”

In addition to Flaggs and the Chamber, the bond also has the support of business owners Bob Morrison and George Carr.

“I know nobody likes a tax increase, but I think we are at a point where we don’t have a choice but to invest in our children and our schools,” Carr said. “It is critical for having people moving into our community and it is critical for Vicksburg to grow for our schools to see better infrastructure and better facilities and better conditions for children to learn under.”

Morrison added that his experience in business has shown him that the quality of education in an area — both real and perceived — plays a major role in where companies locate and where workers choose to live.

“Executives don’t want to move somewhere they can’t put their kids in the school system or they think it is inferior to nearby places,” Morrison said. “Clinton, schools in Rankin County and Madison have spent tons of money and had very recent bond issues to improve their facilities. It is hard to compete when somebody drives up and sees a 50-year-old facility that looks like it is past its useful life and that hasn’t been maintained properly.” 

WHERE TO VOTE

Polls will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday

If in county-wide elections you vote in the following precincts, for the VWSD School Bond Election you will vote at:

Warren Central High School, 1000 Highway 27

• District 1        

Bovina – Bovina Baptist Church

Culkin – Sherman Avenue School

Oak Ridge – Oak Ridge Youth Center

Redwood – Redwood Elementary School

• District 5

Beechwood – Calvary Baptist Church

Moose – Berachah Baptist Church

Plumbers & Pipefitters – Plumbers & Pipefitters Union Hall

Tingleville – The Church of God

YMCA – Porter’s Chapel United Methodist Church

Vicksburg High School, 3701 Drummond Street

• District 2        

3-61 – International Paper Mill

Auditorium – Vicksburg City Auditorium

Brunswick – Eagle Lake Volunteer Fire Department

Cedar Grove – Rolling Acres Community Center

Kings – Triumph Ministries Empowerment Center

St. Al – Springhill M.B. Church

• District 3

#7 Fire Station – Travelers Rest Baptist Church

American Legion – American Legion Post # 3

Vicksburg Junior High School – Warren Central Junior High School

• District 4

Elks – Elks Lodge # 95 BPOE

Goodrum – Goodrum Baptist Church

Jett – Immanuel Baptist Church

Yokena – Yokena Presbyterian Church