VWSD approves $17K for Orlando conference despite budget shortfall

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — The Vicksburg Warren School District approved over $17,000 for personnel to attend an annual conference in Orlando, Fla., despite a budget shortfall. The VWSD held a Board of Trustees meeting Thursday, Aug. 28, where the Board approved travel expenses for a staff member from Innovation and two administrators and three teachers from Warren Central High School to attend the National Career Academy Coalition (NCAC) annual conference in Orlando, Fla. The line items were approved as part of the consent agenda, with the Innovation item costing $4,522.96 and the WCHS proposal costing $12,557.62. The total amounted to $17,080.58. Board Member Linda Patterson pulled a district line item from the consent agenda, which allowed VWSD Superintendent Dr. Torian Holloway, or his designee, and Associate Superintendent Eric Green to attend the same conference at a cost of $11,571.92. Board members Patterson and Bryan Pratt both voted in favor of approving the trip, with members Alonzo Stevens, James Stirgus, Jr., and Joe Loviza voting against sending the district-level administrators. The motion failed to move forward. Stirgus commented following the vote, "Well I guess no one is going." The conference is being held at Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando with an early bird rate of $599 or a combination rate including the early bird rate and the pre-session attendance costing $899. The vote to approve the trip comes after a Special Call Board Meeting held July, 28, when the Board declared a shortfall for FY 2026 in the amount of $521,314.00. Additionally, prior to approving the out-of-state travel expenses, the Board approved the July 2026 Budget Status Statement. The statement showed anticipated revenue as $89,519,343.35 and anticipated expenditures as $96,973,833.63, a shortfall of $7,454,490.28. See the files below for more information. July 2026 Current Budget StatusDownload WCHS NCAC ConferenceDownload Innovation- Out of State TraveDownload District-NCAC Annual ConferencDownload