Like many Jacksonians, I am thrilled when I drive downtown and see the many construction projects underway in both the private and governmental sectors. These developments have all of us excited about the future of our city.
For those of us like myself who work downtown, the noise of cranes and heavy machinery is not a distraction – it is “music to our ears.” Everyday we enjoy seeing the progress being made at these various sites.
As the president of the Board of Trustees of Jackson Public Schools, I am equally excited about the capital improvements underway in Jackson Public Schools. I am happy to report to you that your tax dollars are very much at work inside JPS!
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| Six schools will have new playground equipment when school starts in the fall. |
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| Wingfield was one of the schools to have new floor tiles installed. |
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| Heating and air condition systems are being installed, including this one at Lanier. |
Since voters made history November 7th last year by passing a 150 million dollar school bond referendum, over 30 construction projects have begun. Major renovations are underway at a number of schools throughout the city. Out of a total 78 deferred maintenance projects passed in the bond issue, 34 are underway.
Students and staff at many schools will return in August to find something new –it may be new floors, a new heating and air conditioning system, new lighting inside or outside, a new roof, freshly painted walls, window and door replacements, or a new fire alarm and intercom system. Imagine the faces of the children at six of our schools who return to find new playground equipment!
The biggest JPS construction project underway this summer is a heating and air conditioning replacement at Lanier High. Not only are we replacing the HVAC system that heats and cools most of the classrooms there, we also are replacing some of the drainage systems, because the air conditioning system feeds into the drainage system. I am pleased to report that in selecting new HVAC systems for not only Lanier but also Casey and Timberlawn, we chose systems that are efficient in operation and energy savings. Although we are adding to the capacity and putting in new equipment, for example, at Lanier, we expect to only see a minor increase in the terms of utility costs there – if any.
This – used in tandem with our districtwide partnership with Siemens Building Technologies – should help us to continue to reduce energy costs.
A major effort is also underway inside Jackson Public Schools to increase minority participation and recruit local vendors for construction projects. Jackson Public Schools is also encouraging local companies to bid and apply for contracts as a part of our Jackson First initiative.
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I would like to extend special thanks to the teachers, administrators, and staff who worked doubly hard the last days of the 2006-2007 school year. They not only closed out the school year successfully but they also packed and labeled the contents of their classrooms so the furniture and instructional supplies could be stored while work was going on at their schools this summer. I truly hope when you return you will be excited about the improvements that you see – and you will know that it was well worth the extra work in May and now in August.
To have more than 30 major capital improvement projects underway this summer – and most of them completed by the beginning of school – is also phenomenal. I extend appreciation to the many employees of the JPS Operations Department who oversaw this work – and to the district staff who complemented it with projects funded by district monies – for example, interior painting in those schools that receive floor replacements.
On behalf of the Board, I thank the voters of Jackson who voted for and approved this bond issue. I hope you take as much pride in this work as we do in JPS. I invite you to learn more by visiting the Bond Timeline page and by contacting the schools listed for improvements this summer so you can see firsthand the improvements that your tax dollars funded.
I am looking forward to getting back with you in the near future on groundbreaking dates for five new schools and additions for six schools. These are, indeed, exciting times in Jackson – and in Jackson Public Schools.