School board votes 4-1 to attend conference in Hawaii

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — Select members of the Vicksburg Warren School District will attend the National Career Academy Coalition (NCAC) Annual Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii, this October. The school board approved the decision at last week’s meeting, with one dissenting vote.

Superintendent Dr. Tori Holloway said the conference is open to any district employees, particularly those affiliated with high school-level programs.

The 2025 NCAC conference will be held Oct. 20–22 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu. The event will feature workshops, school tours, and an awards ceremony.

“I’ve been on this board for 16 years, and in that time, I’ve just about been around the world,” said James Sturgis Jr., president of the Vicksburg Warren School District Board of Trustees. “Going to places to learn more, gather more information, to ensure this school system runs effectively—as far as the board is concerned—to make sure that …we give [the Superintendent] feedback.”

Board member Bryan Pratt also emphasized the value of attending out-of-state conferences.

“I’ve learned more going out of state, networking with other districts, talking to other people,” Pratt said. “It has been invaluable.”

Featured speakers for the 2025 conference include Aaron ‘Āina Akamu, K-12 academic officer and director of curriculum and instruction at Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary School, and Lord Ryan Lizardo, vice president of education for the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii.