School district mergers eyed in Chickasaw and Perry counties

Bills are moving ahead in the Senate that would require the merger of two sets of school districts in 2019.

Senate Bill 2461 would merge the Perry County and Richton school districts. Senate Bill 2463 would consolidate the Houston and Chickasaw County school districts. However, unlike earlier proposals, it would exclude the Okolona school district from merging with those two.

The Senate Education Committee passed both measures Wednesday, sending them to the full Senate for more debate.

The committee didn't act Wednesday on two other consolidation proposals, one merging the North Tippah and South Tippah districts, and one merging the Senatobia and Tate County districts.

In the previous five years, lawmakers have voted to abolish two school districts and merge 17 others. Some mergers have yet to occur.