A publication of Mobile County Public Schools, where Perseverance Propels Progress | April 29, 2026 |
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Mobile County Public Schools students, educators, schools and community partners were recognized for "Defying Gravity" at the 12th annual Learning Leading Awards at Murphy High School. The four countywide Learning Leading Award winners and all 90 of the school system's Learning Leading Award winners received special recognition during the ceremony, which had a Wizard of Oz theme. The four countywide winners are Rylan Besaw of Gilliard Elementary, Anniston Byrd of McDavid-Jones Elementary, Benjamin Stringfellow of Phillips Preparatory and Farah Hujier of Davidson High.
The evening included many special moments, but one of the most poignant was Superintendent Chresal D. Threadgill's acceptance of the award for the district's highest State Report Card score ever, an 83/B. He invited representatives from a variety of departments and Board of School Commissioners President Sherry Dillihay-McDade to join him on stage as a way to emphasize that the grade was a shared achievement and a tangible result of #TeamMCPSS working together.
MCPSS celebrated the Class of 2026's record scholarship earnings of $1.1. billion, which was a result of hard work by high school counselors and a new scholarship match program called Alabama Possible.
Community partners that were highlighted include:
Mobile Chamber
Alabama Representatives Barbara Drummond and Chris Pringle
Dr. Carl Cunningham, Jr.
Mobile Coca-Cola Bottling Company
Four MCPSS schools were recognized for being among the top 25 schools in Alabama: Barton Academy for Advanced World Studies, Council Traditional School, Eichold-Mertz School of Math, Science and Technology, and Old Shell Road School of Creative and Performing Arts.
The MCPSS Finance Division received an award for its continued success in managing the district's budget, including clean audits and an increasing reserve fund.
The three countywide Teachers of the Year, Dr. Chelsea Tanous of Davidson, Daniela Yunker of Barton Academy and Jennifer Asbury of Council Traditional, were also honored during the ceremony, and 21 new National Board Certified Teachers were recognized as well.
Read more about the Learning Leading Awards on the mcpss.com website.
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Alma Bryant is a State Banner School
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Alma Bryant High School was named one of Alabama’s eight Banner Schools by the Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools for its hands-on Agriculture Program. Teacher Brian Ladnier and students care for cows and goats, raise hogs to sell, and grow satsuma trees and other plants in a greenhouse. Grand Bay Middle and Semmes Elementary were also recognized as Schools of Distinction during the annual CLAS awards luncheon in Prattville. The CLAS Banner School program recognizes school programs that serve as outstanding educational models for other schools in Alabama.
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Davidson Hi-Q team competes in nationals |
Congratulations to the Davidson Hi-Q team, which earned second place in the Hi-Q National Contest. The Warriors have finished an amazing season after winning the Mobile County Hi-Q championship. The Mobile County Board of School Commissioners honored the team at its April 24 board meeting. Also, District 5 Mobile City Councilman Beau Fleming recognized the team at a City Council meeting. |
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Six MCPSS middle schools (Barton, Calloway-Smith, Causey, Chastang-Fournier, Clark-Shaw and Hankins) and five high schools (Alma Bryant, Davidson, Mary G. Montgomery, Theodore and B.C. Rain) participated in the Wildcat Regional STEM Day hosted by Bishop State Community College. Clark-Shaw and Theodore won the Banner competition, Hankins and MGM took first place in the Mousetrap Car category, Causey and Theodore won in the Egg Drop, and Calloway-Smith and Alma Bryant took top honors for their Water Bottle Rockets.
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Students at Callahan School for the Deaf & Blind spent Earth Day enjoying nature and learning how they can take care of the planet. They went on a nature walk, picked up trash around campus, created robots using recycled materials, made Earth Day crafts with items found outside, planted flowers, and read a book about Earth Day. |
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Faculty and staff at O'Rourke Elementary had a fun activity during Spring Break! Everyone was encouraged to choose a duck to take on Spring Break adventures. They shared their duck adventures on the school's Facebook page. |
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Holllinger's Island students were invited to take part in a special event to celebrate Evonik's 50th anniversary in south Mobile County. The company, a longtime community partner at the school, sponsored an essay contest about what the world would be like 50 years into the future. The winners, Jacob Terry, Jude Edgerton, Maris Phillips, Daniel Stauter, J.T. Pollock and America Johnson, were brought to the Evonik site by trolley and helped company officials plant a satsuma tree in honor of the anniversary. Their essays were included in a time capsule to commemorate the event. Watch a video about the ceremony, courtesy of mcpssTV.
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The MCPSS Office of Communication won seven Excellence in Communication awards and two Strategic Communication awards (for MCPSS-U and for the Teachers of the Year Luncheon) from the Alabama School Public Relations Association. Rena Philips, Director of the Office of Communication and current President of ALSPRA, and Quintin Howard, mcpssTV Network Manager, accepted the awards at ALSPRA's annual conference in Tuscaloosa. ALSPRA is a professional organization affiliated with the National School Public Relations Association.
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Congratulations to Jaycee Henderson and the Davidson High School Navy JROTC unit! Davidson recently earned an “Outstanding” inspection rating and the honor of Distinguished Unit with Academic Honors for the 2025-26 school year, and Henderson received a $200,000 National Navy Reserve Officer Training Command Scholarship. |
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During the April 24 School Board meeting, the Mobile Retired Educators Association recognized three scholarship recipients: Maddie Brown of Baker High, Lily Smith of Davidson High and Bryant Career Technical Center, and Caroline Carter of Davidson (not pictured). |
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Bryant Career Tech Center’s Education and Training program, along with Early Childhood from Faulkner Career Tech, hosted their Future Teachers of Alabama (FTA) Signing Day to celebrate students committing to the field of education. |
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Thank you: April 22 was Administrative Professionals Day, and April 28 was School Bus Driver Appreciation Day. Thank you to these hard-working professionals, who take care of our students and keep our schools running smoothly!
Registration: The registration portal on mcpss.com will open on May 1. All students who plan to attend a school in the Mobile County School System are required to register online. More information and registration links are available here.
Board meetings: The Mobile County Board of School Commissioners will hold a work session on May 20 at noon and will hold a board meeting on May 26 at 10 a.m.
The board's work sessions are recorded and uploaded to the mcpssTV YouTube channel. The board meetings are live-streamed on mcpssTV. All meetings are held in the Board Room at MCPSS Central Office, located at 1 Magnum Pass in west Mobile. The schedule is here on the mcpss.com website.
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Spring plant sales are continuing this week at Bryant Career Technical Center and Mary G. Montgomery High School, with veggies, flowers and ornamentals available at bargain prices. Bryant is open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. MGM is open Monday-Friday, 8-10:45 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. Proceeds from the plant sales are used to cover the costs of supplies and to pay for horticulture students to attend educational conferences. For details, visit the schools' Facebook pages.
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