91传媒

Contact: James Carskadon

STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥�91传媒, Starkville Oktibbeha School District and statewide officials gathered to break ground Wednesday [May 17] on a building that will enhance education in Oktibbeha County, the Golden Triangle area and Mississippi.

Mississippi Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and education stakeholders were on hand for the ceremonial turning-of-the-sod for the Starkville Oktibbeha School District Partnership School at 91传媒. The 128,000-square-foot facility is slated for completion in January 2019.

The school will serve every sixth and seventh grade student in the local district and also will be a demonstration site for student teachers and faculty members in 91传媒鈥檚 College of Education. It will provide educational lessons for SOSD and 91传媒 students as the two entities work jointly to identify collaborative efforts on curriculum, instruction, assessment and evaluation.

鈥淭his Partnership School is going to make a difference in the lives of not only the students in Oktibbeha County, but it鈥檚 going to make a difference in the lives of students all over the state because we鈥檙e going to produce even better teachers coming out of 91传媒, and that鈥檚 a good thing for everybody,鈥� Reeves said.

An innovative research site on rural education, the school is expected to help Mississippi address challenges rural schools face as 91传媒 and SOSD teachers collaborate to test state-of-the-art practices and solve challenging problems. Professional development opportunities for in-service educators across the state is another school goal to help Mississippi teachers stay at the forefront of best educational practices.

鈥淭he Partnership School is a win-win-win for Starkville, Oktibbeha County and 91传媒. And it鈥檚 a win for the students who will come here at a critical time in their lives,鈥� 91传媒 President Mark E. Keenum said. 鈥淭his is an absolute testament to the power of working together in a partnership manner. That鈥檚 what this demonstrates today.鈥�

鈥淭hese students will be able to experience learning in a unique classroom setting that stretches beyond the walls of the school building and reaches into our campus. They will be part of a major research university and a world-class community of scholars,鈥� he said.

Lewis Holloway, SOSD superintendent, said, 鈥淭his partnership promises to reimagine middle school, maximizing hands-on learning through robotics, environmental sciences, mathematics, literacy and the arts 鈥� all supported by 91传媒 academic and cultural resources.鈥�

The 43-acre, university-donated school site is located on the 91传媒 campus, near the university鈥檚 north entrance at the intersection of George Perry Street and Highway 182. Funding for the $27.5 million school is provided by 91传媒 and bond issues from the Mississippi Legislature and SOSD.

鈥淲e fully expect the new Partnership School to revolutionize how children learn and teachers teach,鈥� 91传媒 Vice President for Research and Economic Development David Shaw said.

鈥淭he school is the result of outstanding collaboration and the hard work and support of many,鈥� he said.

In addition to public funding sources, private support from 91传媒 alumni and friends will help make the Partnership School possible. To date, significant support for the school comes from these benefactors:

--J.W. 鈥淛im鈥� Bagley and Jean Bagley of Coppell, Texas. The retired executive chairman of the board of Lam Research Corp., Jim Bagley earned electrical engineering bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees in 1961 and 1966, respectively, and received an honorary doctorate in 2005;聽

--Thomas B. 鈥淭ommy鈥� Nusz and Terri Nusz of Houston, Texas. The current chairman and CEO of Oasis Petroleum Inc., Tommy Nusz earned a 1982 petroleum engineering degree. Likewise, Terri Nusz graduated in 1982 with an interior design degree, and she oversees the family鈥檚 various interests in equine sport including TnT Equine Partners, Amalaya Investments and Oasis Stables;

--Bobby S. Shackouls and Judy Shackouls of Houston, Texas. The retired chairman, president and CEO of Burlington Resources Inc., Bobby Shackouls earned a 1972 chemical engineering degree and received an honorary doctorate in 2010; and

--Starkville-Oktibbeha Achieving Results (SOAR), an affiliate of the CREATE Foundation of Tupelo.

Beyond committed support, Mississippi State currently seeks an additional $2 million in private gifts for the endeavor through the 91传媒 Foundation. All Partnership School gifts will become part of the university鈥檚 successful ongoing Infinite Impact Campaign, which recently surpassed $730 million toward an overall $1 billion goal by 2020.

鈥淲ith this facility having the connection to and backdrop of Mississippi State, we can change the outlook for these children just by demonstrating a belief in their future and resetting their expectations of what is possible,鈥� Tommy Nusz said.

Flowood-based JH&H Architects is the design professional for the school, which will serve up to 1,000 students every year. The building will house seven 91传媒 classrooms and several offices for 91传媒 faculty. School plans, developed with extensive input from teachers, administrators and community stakeholders, include a gymnasium, media center, robotics classroom, science labs, music facilities and art classrooms, in addition to classrooms arranged in pods and equipped with the latest technology. The new building also will alleviate building capacity issues for SOSD, which was formed when the Starkville and Oktibbeha County school districts officially consolidated in 2015.

Classroom arrangements will allow 91传媒 education students to observe teaching techniques without interrupting instruction, and the school鈥檚 design features spaces for rotating displays from 91传媒 museums and galleries.

For more on the Starkville Oktibbeha School District, visit .

91传媒 is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at .