Compass Datacenters Makes One-Time $5 Million Gift to Meridian's Public Schools

Answering a need, Compass steps in as a community partner to ensure schools across Meridian benefit directly from the project

MERIDIAN, Miss., Nov. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Compass Datacenters today announced a one-time, $5 million gift to Meridian Public School District, stepping in as a community partner to ensure the city's own public schools benefit directly from the data center project under way in the area. The gift will support Meridian's teachers, staff and students.

A priority raised by the Mayor

As Compass looked for ways to invest in Meridian, it asked the city's leaders what would make the most difference, and Mayor Percy Bland pointed to the city's own public schools. As the company's data center campus takes shape in the area, the project is already benefiting the broader community through jobs, workforce training and new investment. Bland wanted to be sure that Meridian's own public schools, which serve about 4,400 students, shared in that benefit directly, alongside the other districts in the region. Because of how school tax revenue is distributed, much of the direct school funding the project generates supports districts beyond the city limits.

A strong advocate for the communities where it builds, Compass responded by directing the gift to where district leaders said it was needed most: teacher pay, support-staff compensation and other administrative priorities set by the district.

"From the beginning of our conversations with Compass, I made it clear that one of the most meaningful investments they could make in our city would be in our public schools," said Mayor Percy Bland.  "I specifically asked that our teachers, staff, and the people who dedicate their lives to educating our children benefit from the economic growth taking place in our city.  Compass listened, and today that conversation has become a $5 million commitment to the Meridian Public School District.  This is what meaningful, thoughtful partnership looks like, and it matters."

"Our commitment to Meridian doesn't stop at the edge of our campus," said AJ Byers, President of Compass Datacenters. "We want every part of this community to share in what we're building. When Mayor Bland asked us to make sure the city's own public schools benefit directly too, that was an easy yes. Meridian's teachers and staff show up for this community's children every day, and this gift is our way of showing up for them."

"This investment reaches our teachers, our staff and the everyday needs of running our schools," said Dr. Amy Carter, Superintendent of Meridian Public School District. "For a district that gives so much to its students, having a partner step up like this means a great deal. On behalf of our educators and the families we serve, thank you to Compass."

Part of a broader commitment to Meridian

The gift builds on investments Compass has already made in Meridian and its workforce as it develops its campus in the area:

• Training local people for local jobs. Compass partnered with Meridian Community College to launch the MEI Data Center Pathway Program, Mississippi's first data center workforce training program. The 14-week, hands-on course covers mechanical, electrical and IT skills that lead to a data center career. No college degree or prior experience is required, and the first cohort began in September 2026.
  
  
• Connecting local talent to careers. Alongside the program, Compass and the East Mississippi Business Development Corporation hosted a two-day job fair at Meridian Community College, timed to the commissioning of the first building, bringing local candidates together with national hiring partners.
  
  
• Investing in shared infrastructure. Compass's Meridian campus is part of more than $300 million in company-wide grid investment. Compass funds the substations, transmission and infrastructure its campuses require, so those costs are not passed on to local ratepayers.

About Meridian Public School District

Meridian Public School District serves about 4,400 students from pre-K through 12th grade in Meridian, Mississippi. The district includes a pre-K academy, five elementary schools, two middle schools, Meridian High School, one of the oldest and largest career and technical education centers in the state, and an alternative school. Recently named a District of Innovation, MPSD offers CTE pathways in engineering, construction and trades, industrial maintenance, culinary arts and health sciences, and partners with Meridian Community College on the Meridian Collegiate Academy, where students can earn an associate degree while still in high school. The district's theme this year is "One District, One Community, Endless Possibilities." Learn more at http://www.mpsdk12.net/.

About Compass Datacenters

Compass Datacenters does data centers differently. The company develops and operates sustainable Class A, Community-First campuses guided by a 100-year neighbor philosophy that invests in the workforce, infrastructure, and well-being of every community it calls home. Backed by the institutional strength of Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, Brookfield Infrastructure and KKR, Compass delivers high-quality facilities at speed for the cloud and hyperscale customers driving today's economy. By combining industrialized, prefabricated design with advanced hybrid cooling that uses no water during operations, responsible energy use, and a commitment to zero-waste goals at our completed sites, Compass takes a more sustainable approach to digital infrastructure supporting the company's built-to-last vision. The result is move-in ready capacity that scales efficiently and responsibly. Data Centers Done Differently. www.compassdatacenters.com.

SOURCE Compass Datacenters