By Thomas Sellers Jr.
We’re on the eve of the eighth year of Millington Municipal Schools.
Not since 2014-15 when the MMS District was born have Flag City students seen so many administrative changes. The closure of E.A. Harrold Elementary has led to a metamorphosis of Millington Municipal Schools. The Millington Star will give you 5 things you need to known as registration wraps up and the new-look Millington schools prepare for the return of students Aug. 9
Five… Important Dates to Remember
The first day of school is Aug. 9 for Millington Municipal Schools. Fall Break is scheduled for Oct. 11-15 and Thanksgiving Break falls from Nov. 24-26. Winter Break starts Dec. 20 and students return Jan. 2, 2022. Then from March 14-18, 2022 students and faculty will have Spring Break. The calendar school year ends May 20, 2022.
Four… The Black & Gold
Back in January, the Millington School Board assigned the black and gold colors and the Trojan mascot to all three schools that it will operate beginning Aug. 9.
Offered by former Board member Mark Coulter and seconded by Marlon Evans. The motion was passed by six affirmative votes, with C. J. Haley absent from the virtual meeting.
James “Bo” Griffin, superintendent of Millington Municipal Schools, said this will give the district “more identity” under the slogan of One Millington. He also said it will help financially, because “bulk” purchases can be made with the two colors.
Griffin noted that Millington Middle School has already started to take down some of the blue and white colors and to display the black and gold “M” in its hallways. It has also changed the uniforms for the football and basketball teams.
He said the Trojan logo will be more “child-friendly” for the Pre-K through third-graders and slightly more “mature” for the fourth- through sixth-graders.
Griffin reiterated that, by putting the One Millington slogan “in front of everything,” the district can “come together” and move forward with that “spirit and connection.”
Three… New Principals
Millington will be home to three institutions of education and the principals will be Michael Perry (Millington Central Middle-High), Patricia Speight (Millington Intermediate Principal) and Christina Wilkerson (Millington Primary Principal).
Perry is a 21-year veteran in education who spent 16 years serving the families of Millington Central High School as a teacher, baseball coach, master teacher, and assistant principal. Wilkerson has spent the last seven years serving the children of Millington, Shelby Forest, and North East Shelby County as the assistant Principal of E.E. Jeter K-8 school in Millington. Speight, an educational veteran with more than 21 years of education experience, will continue her tenure as a building level Principal within Millington Municipal Schools after leading E.A. Harrold.
Two… here and there (Where does your child report? )
Starting in the 2021-22 school year, MMSD has restructured its grade banding to include three buildings: Millington Primary School: which will serve grades Pre-K-third, Millington Intermediate School: which will serve grades fourth–sixth, and Millington Central Middle-High School: which will serve grades seventh–12th.
Millington Primary students will be housed in the former Millington Elementary School building located at 6445 William Osteen Drive. Millington Intermediate School will be located at 4964 Cuba-Millington Road, the former home of Millington Middle School.
And Millington Central Middle-High School is located at 8050 West Street.
Since 2000, Mark Neal has worn multiple hats in educating the youth of Millington from teacher to coach to principal and now deputy superintendent.
One… new position
Former Millington Central High School Principal Mark Neal is now the Deputy Superintendent Of MMSD. Neal is the first Millington Municipal School District Deputy Superintendent.
“I am extremely honored and excited,” Neal said of his new job. “Superintendent Griffin has a great vision for Millington Municipal Schools. The fact that he brought me across the street to Central Office will help carry out that vision. My role primary support the three principals in the schools, all the academic departments at the Central Office.
“Which will free up Mr. Griffin to also focus on operations, politics that come along with the job, funding,” he added. “And Mr. Griffin is also an academic guy who will visit the schools. It allows all of us to be more efficient, more supportive of the people on the frontline — our teachers, our administrators and our staff which will ultimately support our students and their families.”
