Once Upon a Time in the Park

April 5, 2025
11am - 2pm
Michael J. Kenny Rec Center
601 W. Coleman Ave., Hammond

Connect, Learn, Play!

• fun for kids ages 0-8 years old.
• Enjoy an activity roundabout, and egg hunt, music and magic show, free snow cone, and more!
• Meet and gather information from schools and learning centers.
• Get assistance enrolling your child in early learning centers and public pre-K.
• Discover community resources. Connect with vendors offering family-focused services, from education to healthcare.

East egg hunt begins at 12pm

Enjoy story time with Superintendent Stilley at 1:15pm

Every Child receives a FREE BOOK!

Learn More    |    Print Flyer - English   |   Print Flyer - Spanish

 

 

Pre-K and Early Childhood Application Information

Visit us online at readystarttangi.com to schedule an application appointment or call the TPSS Early Childhood Department at (985) 748 - 2454.

Parents can apply for public Pre-K programs and receive information regarding Head Start or child care opportunities.

Applications will be complete by phone.

Documents Needed:

•  Child's Original Birth Certificate
• Proof of Income

Application Dates:

• Round 1: March 1 - April 11
• Round 2: April 28 - June 18
• Round 3: July 7 - August 8

 

More Information: https://linktr.ee/readystarttangi

This event will serve as a class field trip for our S.W.A.G. students and their teachers. Families are encouraged to join their child by meeting the buses at the arena. The purpose of the Career Fair is to foster connections and build strong relationships between local businesses and our families, helping to ensure that our students with disabilities have a successful transition into life after high school.

If you are a local business or resource who would like to become involved in our event, please reach out to mildred.johnson@tangischools.org (985-687-3960).

The Contest

What does America mean to you?

In 2026, the United States will mark our Semiquincentennial: the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Today’s young people are the leaders, innovators, and thinkers who will shape the next 250 years — and it’s important their voices are heard as we commemorate this historic milestone.

America’s Field Trip is a contest that invites students across the country in grades 3–12 to be part of America’s 250th anniversary by sharing their perspectives on what America means to them — with the opportunity to earn an unforgettable field trip experience at some of the nation’s most iconic historic and cultural landmarks.

See the full details 

Students are asked to submit writing or original artwork in response to the contest’s prompt: “What does America mean to you?”

Submissions will be accepted until Wednesday, April 16, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. ET.

Submit Now

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Contest ends 5:00 p.m. ET on 4/16/25. Open to U.S. students (3rd – 12th grade). See Official Rules for full details including how to enter, eligibility requirements, prize description/restrictions and judging procedure. Void where prohibited.

Tangipahoa Parish School System is celebrating outstanding results in its latest independent financial audit, reinforcing its commitment to transparency, accountability, and excellence in financial stewardship.

Tangipahoa Parish School Superintendent Melissa M. Stilley proudly announced that the district received an “unmodified audit” or a “clean opinion” for the 2024 fiscal year, highlighting its exemplary financial management and responsible use of resources.

The independent audit, conducted by Ericksen Krentel, a highly respected New Orleans-based certified public accounting firm, confirms the district’s dedication to strong fiscal responsibility and sound financial practices.

“This remarkable achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our finance team and our entire administrative staff,” Stilley said. “Our commitment to transparency, accountability, and fiscal prudence ensures that every dollar is used to provide the best possible education for our students.”

The positive audit comes at a time when the district is managing not only local funding but also substantial state and federal grants, requiring stringent oversight and careful financial planning.

“Our 2024 audit confirms that our district operates with efficiency, integrity, and full compliance with all applicable state and federal regulations,” Stilley said. “This clean report reflects our unwavering commitment to responsible financial management.”

The audit, covering the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, highlights the district’s strong financial position, prudent budgeting, and effective resource allocation—all of which directly support student achievement.

Key highlights of the audit include:

• A clean audit opinion, confirming TPSS’s financial statements accurately represent the district’s financial health.

• Strong cash reserves and a balanced operating budget, demonstrating responsible financial planning.

• Effective management of federal, state, and local funds, ensuring resources are utilized where they are needed most.

• No significant deficiencies or concerns identified in internal controls or financial reporting.

Tangipahoa Parish School Board President Tom Tolar applauded the positive audit results, stating, “This outstanding report underscores our district’s dedication to maintaining the trust of our taxpayers, families, and students.”

Board Member Brett Duncan, who served as president of the board in 2024, emphasized that this latest audit is part of a long-standing tradition of financial excellence.

“Since 2010, TPSS has consistently earned clean audits and prestigious financial reporting awards,” Duncan said. “Our district’s commitment to financial accountability and transparency is truly extraordinary.”

Duncan further explained that TPSS prioritizes public accessibility to financial information. Each year, the district’s budget is published online, open for public review, and discussed in board meetings before adoption. Ongoing financial reports, including the full check register, are made available through public meetings, televised sessions, and online streaming.

“We go above and beyond in financial transparency,” Duncan said. “Our records from 2011 to now are accessible online, allowing anyone to see our budget history, audit reports, and financial standing.”

TPSS Chief Financial Officer Jeffrey McKneely echoed this sentiment, stating that the district takes a proactive approach to ensuring the community understands how funds are managed.

“This board can proudly demonstrate that our financial practices are sound, and this community’s investment is making a real impact on our students’ education,” McKneely said.

TPSS’s commitment to financial excellence has also been recognized on a national level. The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) awarded the district the prestigious Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for its 2023 financial documents. This award is given to entities that meet the highest standards of transparency, accountability, and full disclosure in financial reporting.

“The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management,” said Michele Mark Levine, GFOA Director.

Superintendent Stilley expressed her gratitude to the district’s finance team for their exceptional work in managing the school system’s financial health.

“We sometimes take these achievements for granted, but these recognitions serve as solid proof that TPSS is in a strong financial position to continue providing a high-quality education while maintaining a financially sustainable future,” Stilley said.

For more information about the audit or to view the full audit report, visit https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1739201655/tangischoolsorg/y0svni3mrvkumofttdi5/TangipahoaParishSchoolSystem-FinancialStatements_06302024.pdf.

The Department of Educational Leadership and Foundations at Southeastern Louisiana University is excited to announce that we are accepting applications for Summer and Fall 2025 cohorts for our nationally accredited Master of Education in Educational Leadership program. 

We are hosting a series of virtual information sessions on the following dates:

• Tuesday, February 18
• Tuesday, March 18
• Tuesday, April 15

All sessions are from 4:00-5:00 pm. You can join the meeting using the link below or by accessing our website at www.southeastern.edu/edlf 

 

Join Southeastern MEd in Educational Leadership information session

 

The Summer 2025 cohorts will use an in-person hybrid model that integrates synchronous in-person meetings one night per week with asynchronous work that allows you to work within your schedule. The Fall 2025 cohort will use a virtual hybrid model that replaces the synchronous in-person meetings with synchronous virtual meetings. 

One Summer 2025 cohort is expected to meet at a facility in East Baton Rouge Parish and the second cohort will meet on Southeastern's campus.

You will complete the Master's degree program in 15 months at a cost that is less than our traditional 24-month program and many 100% online programs (which do not include weekly interaction with program faculty).

Our faculty consists of award-winning researchers and practitioners who are actively engaged with schools and community agencies and model best practices to their students in the university classroom and in the field. As a graduate of the Master of Educational Leadership program, you will be prepared for careers and advancement as leaders in your school and district.

Attached are documents that include additional information about the program. You should find most of the information you need in these documents, but do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or if more information is needed.

In addition to the attachments, you can use the following links to view information related to admission and program requirements.

Admission Process: Prospective students must submit a completed application to study at Southeastern Louisiana University and satisfy all University graduate admission requirements including a completed immunization form, non-refundable fee, and official copies of all transcripts. The University application must be submitted online at:

http://www.southeastern.edu/apply/graduate/index.html.

 

Tuition and Fees:

http://www.southeastern.edu/admin/controller/tuition/index.html
 

If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to email us at
edlmed@southeastern.edu or Margaret.westmoreland@southeastern.edu

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

 

Thomas A. DeVaney, PhD.
Department Head 
Merritt Family Endowed Professor
Department of Educational Leadership and Foundations
Southeastern Louisiana University

SLU 10549
Hammond, LA 70402
(985) 549-5713
(985) 549-5712 (fax)

 

Department Contact Information

Department of Educational Leadership and Foundations
Cate Teacher Education Center
SLU 10549
Hammond, LA 70402
http://www.southeastern.edlf
Tel: 985 549-5713

Program Coordinator
Dr. Margaret Westmoreland
margaret.westmoreland@southeastern.edu

For the 2025-2026 school session, The Ready Start Tangipahoa Early Childhood Community Network is requesting 700 LA4 seats. This is an increase of 10 seats from the 2024-2025 school session. LA4 students will be placed in all Tangipahoa Parish School System elementary schools. Diverse delivery LA4 classes at The Early Learning Center of Ponchatoula (40 seats), Ponchatoula Prep Academy (20 seats) and Explore and Learn Early Learning Center in Hammond (20 seats) will continue being funded by LA4.

The network is requesting for 400 Birth-3-year-old seats, an increase of 87 seats from the 2024-2025 allocation. Child care centers will apply to participate in the B-3 program and must meet the requirements set forth by the Ready Start Board of Directors. Requirements include, but are not limited to, a current Performance Profile rating of High-Proficient, participation in the network, implementation of tier I curriculum, etc. Centers requesting seats include: Kingdom Kids 2 and LaBella Kidz (Amite), A'Mazing Kidz 1 and 2, Cutting the Pattern, Little Grace Childcare and Learning Center (Independence), ABC Academy, Building Blocks Early Learning Center, Blooming Minds, Eagle Christian Academy, Explore and Learn Early Learning Center, Explore and Learn Child Development Center, Hammond Early Learning Center, Happy Feet Learning Center, Heavenly Hands 1 and 2, Kingdom Kids, Laci ABC 2, Living Way Instruction Zone Child Care, and The Gingerbread House of Learning (Hammond), Just Kiddin Around, Learn N Grow Learning Center, Little Angels Learning Academy, Montessori and Me, Ponchatoula Prep Academy, and Punkin Patch Academy (Ponchatoula). One family child care provider, Annie Michelle Collins, has requested B-3 seats. These seats would allow the network to serve more infants, toddlers, and three-year-old children in Tangipahoa Parish. Parents will apply for seats through a common application and must meet state-mandated eligibility requirements.

We are encouraging public input for the 2025-2026 funding plan. Please direct all comments to Carmen.brabham@tangischools.org. Comments may also be mailed to 59656 Puleston Rd. Amite, LA 70422, faxed to 985-748-2455, or hand delivered to the Academics Department at the Tangipahoa Parish School System District Office.

Print Information

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tangipahoa Parish School Superintendent Melissa M. Stilley
 

On Friday, Hammond High Magnet School has been recognized with the highest merit award offered by the Magnet Schools of America, which has distinguished the school as a “Top Merit Award of Excellence” campus.

It is a first for both the school and the district, which relaunched HHMS as a magnet and International Baccalaureate school at the start of the 2010-11 school year. At the time, the school was in decline, boasting an enrollment of only several hundred students. Today, HHMS is the second-largest high school in the parish, receiving hundreds of magnet transfer applications each year for students to participate in a wealth of programs offered at the school.

Tangipahoa Parish School Superintendent Melissa Stilley was part of the leadership team who witnessed the transformation of Hammond High to a magnet campus nearly 15 years ago.

“This is a proud day, not only for our district, but so much more so for the families and businesses in Hammond who championed for the transformation of this campus to a dynamic school that would draw students from all over Tangipahoa Parish to achieve their academic goals,” Stilley said.

Michael Kyles, Jr., principal of HHMS, was a teacher at the campus when the school began its transformation more than a decade ago. “When I think about where we started and how Hammond High Magnet has grown in such a short time, I am so excited for the opportunities we can afford students not only in Hammond but all over Tangipahoa Parish. This recognition is a powerful reminder that HHMS is on the move, making positive gains for students in our community and gaining national attention for the opportunities we are providing for our students,” Kyles said.

Among those opportunities are the Northshore’s only IB high school diploma program and a sports medicine magnet program which draws students from across the parish to attend HHMS. The magnet specialty programs have been so well-received the campus has had to complete several additions, including a ProStart culinary kitchen and most recently a 14-classroom wing to accommodate the influx of students.

The “Top Magnet Schools of Excellence” award from Magnet Schools of America recognizes schools that were designated as National Certified Demonstration Schools in the fall of 2024 or schools that achieved the highest score threshold or ranked at the top of their reader group.” It is the highest merit award the organization offers to magnet schools across the country.

Stilley said this the first time one of the Tangipahoa Parish School System’s magnet schools has been recognized by an outside magnet organization for their excellence.

“This is a moment to be celebrated, not only in Hammond but parish wide,” Stilley said. 

Tangipahoa Parish School Board member Brett Duncan, who has championed the magnet program since its inception, called the recognition well-deserved.

“I am so glad that our educators, students, and this community will receive the recognition they deserve,” Duncan said, adding that “the work that has been done to improve Hammond High Magnet over the last 12 years has been a yeoman’s job, and the result has been remarkable.”

Duncan said this transformation would not have been possible without the support of the entire community, and he applauded Hammond’s investment in the dedicated magnet tax which has benefited not only HHMS, but all of Hammond’s magnet, Montessori, and IB programs.

“The people of Hammond supported this program when it was just a dream. I am beyond excited for these stakeholders to see the rewards of their commitment and their investment in our schools,” Duncan said.

Stilley visited the campus on Friday to join Principal Kyles and the entire Hammond High Magnet community in celebrating this outstanding achievement.

Pictured: TPSS Superintendent Melissa Stilley, HHMS Principal Michael Kyles Jr., Coordinator of Magnet School Programs DeShea Johnson.

 

 

 

We are excited to announce that Tangipahoa Parish School System now has a mobile App! Getting information, announcements, and important dates has never been easier! The App is available for Apple devices in the App Store and on Android devices in the Google Play store.

Search Tangipahoa Parish Schools and download the App today, Use the filter option at the top right under News and Events so that you only see the news and events for the school(s) your student attends. 

Under the More menu, tap Notifications at the top and turn on TPSS Announcements. Any announcements sent by the district will be delivered to your mobile device and shown under Notifications in the App. 

The App is easy to navigate and has all of the news and events you need. Plus it has links that will take you directly to the Family Toolkit and more! Get connected today then show your friends!

Preview the App

Transportation Department

Read More About our Core Values in our TPSS Handbook.

Apply for a teaching position today!

Student Enrollment

Resolve a Problem

Learn More

SchoolCash Online will roll out as our online payment platform for the 2023-2024 school year. Get ahead of the game by creating your guardian account today! Once established, we will use this platform to manage the posting and payment of your child's school-related fees.

Note:

-cafeteria fees will still be paid through MySchoolBucks

-students have not yet rolled over into their 2023-24 classes. That usually happens more toward the start of the new school year.

Create Account: https://www.tangischools.org/district/school-cash-online

The School Board gave final approval for the district to offer a one time $15,000 recruitment stipend for NEW teachers to Tangipahoa Parish School System.

New Teachers to the Tangipahoa Parish who receive the recruitment bonus will be placed at specific schools based on their certification with the goal of creating a more diverse workplace at every school. This stipend will be paid over two years, which would provide an additional $625 per month for 24 months ($7,500 more annually) on top of the teacher salary schedule. Teachers transferring from other districts to Tangipahoa will have their numbers of years teaching credited to them on the salary schedule.

New teachers in TANGI with no teaching experience start at $47,300 plus the $15,000 recruitment stipend. New teachers coming into TANGI with five years experience with a bachelors' degree start at $49,636 plus the $15,000 recruitment stipend. New teachers coming into TANGI with 10 years experience with a bachelor's degree start at $52,016 plus the $15,000 recruitment stipend.

The Superintendent and Board will continue to utilize all available revenues to ensure that the very best teachers are in the classroom. The new 2023-2024 Salary Schedule will be released in July 2023 and may reflect higher teacher salaries. Our goal is to continue to offer competitive salaries for all our employees. 

If you are interested and want to know more click the banner below and submit our form. A representative from Human Resources will contact you. 

2022-2023 SALARY SCHEDULE

 

https://tangischoolsorg.finalsite.com/departments/human-resources

Looking for a permanent or substitute position with our school system? Becoming an attendant for a school bus may give you the work hours you desire, along with benefits. Come ride with us!  We will provide you with the 6 hour training you will need for FREE.

School Bus Attendant Interest Form

Learn more on our Transportation Page.

The P3 platform enables the public to share information anonymously with Crime Stoppers programs, law enforcement entities, schools, and large corporations around the world.  If you have crime or safety-related information that may be deemed useful in your community, submit a tip via the P3 web page – or download the P3 Tips App for iPhone or android devices. 

SUBMIT A TIP

 

Visit Tangischools.org for more information.