For Immediate Release

Tribal Officials Break Ground on New Red Water Elementary School

CHOCTAW, Miss. – (November 29, 2007) – A groundbreaking ceremony was held November 29, 2007, at the site for the new Red Water Elementary School located off Hwy 35N in the Red Water Community in Leake County. Division of school officials, tribal council members, Choctaw Indian Princess Kristen Tubby and Miko Beasley Denson spoke at the event.

The new Red Water Elementary School will be an approximate 53,000 square foot facility and will include a full-size gymnasium, cafeteria, kitchen facilities, computer lab, media center, art room and a music room. The new school can easily accommodate the current 150 students in Red Water and has the capacity to house up to 300 students. The school will have 10 classrooms and will serve pre-kindergarten through 8th grade. On the exterior grounds there will be a basketball court, playground areas, combination football, baseball, and soccer field, and an amphitheater. The building design incorporates a storm shelter in the corridors of the classroom wings. A geothermal High-Voltage Alternating Current (HVAC) system is utilized for the building to reduce fuel consumption. The school is designed to provide a safe environment for the students and teachers with the latest technology to aid in the teaching process.

Input from community meetings has been translated into the design and finishes to provide a learning environment that the Red Water Community can be proud of for years to come.

The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, with an enrolled membership of almost 10,000 is the only federally recognized tribe in the State of Mississippi. Headquartered in the Pearl River community, near Philadelphia, Mississippi, the tribe has emerged as a leader in economic development. The Tribe provides a range of governmental services for its members including schools, a hospital, medical clinics, police and fire protection, courts, an elderly center, among many others.

Please direct all questions to the Office of Public Information at 601.650.1537.