Following a decision by the Vicksburg Warren School District (VWSD) Board of Trustees at its May 29 meeting to approve travel to a conference in Hawaii, members of the community have responded with questions surrounding district travel. The Post sat down with VWSD Superintendent Dr. Tori Holloway to learn more about how the board decides which conferences to attend and which employees will make the trip.

Holloway said the trustees have total control over who attends conferences and which conferences are chosen. He said the board decides how many teachers will attend a conference based on “the initiative and the impact of that initiative on the school.”

“For example, we’re a Leader In Me district-wide, so there may be a time if there’s a Leader in Me symposium, we will probably send a pretty good number because it impacts all of the schools,” Holloway said.

Holloway also said the academy model used by VWSD is sometimes the subject of conferences, prompting certain employees to make the trip for those opportunities.

“The career academies have a big role in our high schools, so we usually send a pretty big number of teachers to that,” he said.

At the May meeting, Board of Trustees Vice President Bryan Pratt voiced his opinion that board members should attend conferences to receive awards and learn what other districts are doing.

The upcoming conference in Hawaii is one such instance when an award is expected to be presented to the district.

“When we receive awards, it’s appropriate for us to be recognized and board members to represent us at those functions,” he said during the meeting. “There’s other things other people are doing out there. I’ve learned more going out of state, networking with other districts. It has been invaluable.”

Approval for travel and conference attendance was also granted to board members Alonzo Stevens and Joe Loviza at the May meeting. The pair will be attending the Southern Regional Leadership Conference in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

VWSD Trustee Linda Patterson declined to comment further when contacted by The Post; however, she expressed her opinion during the May board meeting that the school district should not pay for school board members’ travel to conferences. Patterson was the lone nay vote in the decision to send Board President Jim Stirgus to the conference in Hawaii.

Holloway said the board sometimes declines attending a conference due to cost.

“Like we can’t pay $5,000 per person to go to that one (conference); we try to keep it reasonable,” he said. “There are years that there will be more travel than others. It just depends on what’s offered, what our needs are and where we need to improve.”

A specific question raised by community members following the May 29 meeting revolved around the reasons River City Early College (RCEC) Principal Dr. Kenitra Ezi attended a recent National Career Academy Conference (NCAC) when RCEC does not have academies. 

Holloway said all principals need to understand the district’s initiatives.

“Part of building an aligned school district is everyone understanding and knowing what’s going on in the district,” he said. “And, we have actually been looking for ways to have the students at RCEC have opportunities within those career academies. Just like we’re trying to explore ways for those kids at RCEC to have opportunities in the CTE program. They deserve those opportunities as well. That’s why (Ezi)  went.”

According to VWSD records, no board members attended the 2024 NCAC conference in Chicago. Those who made the trip included Holloway, Associate Superintendent Eric M. Green, Vicksburg High School Principal Dr. LaToya Sims-Allen, Warren Central High School Principal Drew Rainer, Ezi and teachers Crystal Hood, Melissa Smith, Derrick Reed, Kristy Brannon, Jennifer Normand and Traci Esparza.

For more information about the board’s decision to send Stirgus to the conference, click here.