Lauderdale County School District

You know, there’s nothing like county school rivalries.  Athletics, test scores, population; all propagate lifelong rivalries between students at West Lauderdale, Clarkdale, Northeast and Southeast.  It’s true; adults meet and renew acquaintances by remembering that certain basketball game when Clarkdale beat Southeast or when baseball at West Lauderdale was the best in the county, and Northeast had a powerhouse football team.  But, in reality, all four schools are sister schools under the umbrella of Lauderdale County School District. 

Those four schools hold more than 6200 students, all hoping to get the best education possible.  And the School District is committed to educating those students, so they can become competent, contributing members of society.  The district offers educational choices; traditional class settings, career and technical education classes, and dual enrollment through MCC. Both MCC and EMCC offer the tuition guarantee program to LCSD graduates.   

There is a rich history in the Lauderdale County School System.  The oldest building in the district was constructed in 1936; The Rock Building at Clarkdale.  Northeast Elementary is housed in the old Middleton School which is now a cultural feature in Lauderdale County.  More than four generations of students have passed through the doors of Lauderdale County Schools.  And the students have been a part of the community, representing their school at science and reading fairs and spelling bees.  They have helped raise thousands of dollars for local and state charities and organizations.  Annual canned food drives and donations to local charities help the district stay connected to the community in which they serve. “Every day we receive thank you letters and cards for our involvement in the community,” says Andrea Williams, Communications Director.

“We are committed to continuing to do our part to make Lauderdale County a better place to live and work,” says Superintendent Dr. John-Mark Cain.  “We are providing our students with the skills and knowledge needed to provide the region with a strong educated workforce.  We partner with MCC offering the ACT WorkKeys to all our senior students.  Over the last two years, we have secured more than $1 million in grant money to help support our schools and students.  The Parent Academy was started this past fall at some schools, and the MCOPS grant was received from the State Dept. of Education to fund school resource officers at each school.  We also received the Phil Harden Apple Grant to improve technology in the classroom.  The LCSD Energy Efficiency project is one of the biggest energy projects that any school district in the state has ever done.  This is a project that will have a direct impact on all of the LCSD’s 12 campuses,” he added.  “We appreciate EMBDC helping disseminate information about ongoing initiative and events happening in the LCSD.  We are hoping that our commitment to the ACT WorkKeys assessment can help aid the county in becoming a WorkReady Community,” he concluded.

Lauderdale County is an area of friendly people who deeply care about their communities and their schools.  Whether a Bulldog, Trojan, Tiger or Knight, a sense of pride and commitment can be felt and seen all over the county.  The expectations of the stakeholders keep them striving for continuous improvement at Lauderdale County School District.

Lauderdale County School District
301 46th Court, Meridian, MS