MS HC97

Commends Davis Magnet IB Elementary School in Jackson, Mississippi, for being rated the number one performing elementary school in the state according to 2017 accountability ratings.

Davis achieved 82 percent of students scoring proficient or above in both reading and math on state assessments, compared to the state average of approximately 40 percent.

The school implements the International Baccalaureate program, one of 534 elementary schools nationwide using this rigorous curriculum that emphasizes inquiry-based learning and a transdisciplinary approach.

The school announced plans to rename itself from Davis (after Confederate President Jefferson Davis) to honor President Barack Obama, making it the first school in Mississippi named after the nation's first African-American president, with the change taking effect for the 2019 school year.

Directs copies of the resolution to be furnished to Davis Magnet IB Elementary School, Principal Kathleen Grigsby, and the Capitol Press Corps.