1st public school in Mississippi marks its bicentennial
1st public school in Mississippi marks its bicentennial February 14, 2021 GMT COLUMBUS, Miss. (AP) — A Mississippi community is celebrating the bicentennial of the state’s first public school, which remains open. Franklin Academy in Columbus was chartered by the Mississippi Legislature on Feb. 10, 1821. At that time, Mississippi was in its fourth year of statehood. Franklin is now a medical sciences and wellness magnet school, with about 250 students from kindergarten through fifth grade. The Commercial Dispatch reported that a bicentennial celebration Friday included presentations by sev...