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JPS Board Unanimously Approves School Construction and Consolidation Proposal for 2023 - 2024 School Year
May 3, 2023
On May 2, the Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees approved a proposal to relocate, consolidate, and reconfigure a number of schools to address maintenance concerns for the 2023-2024 school year. As part of the federal Elementary & Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER), Jackson Public Schools has received funding to address the lingering impacts of COVID-19 on education. A substantial portion of these funds will be used to remediate school buildings, including installing new HVAC systems, restroom renovations, and outdoor learning spaces. These funds are time-sensitive and must be expended by 2024.
Brinkley Middle School will close and consolidate with Lanier High School, reconfiguring it to accommodate scholars in grades 7-12. Also, Baker Elementary School will close and consolidate with Shirley Elementary School. Superintendent Dr. Errick L. Greene said the cost to repair Brinkley Middle and Baker Elementary is too much, and enrollment across the district is down. “We’re still looking at numbers. One of the concerns that’s been lifted up is we want to manage against larger numbers of scholars in the building where folks start to feel like they’re overcrowded. The reality is, we’ve got tons of room in most of the buildings because we’re under-enrolled,” said Dr. Greene.
JPS will also temporarily close several schools next year for repairs. During that time, students will temporarily relocate to other schools.
- Powell Middle School will shift to Brinkley Middle School while facility challenges are addressed; Brinkley’s 6th-grade cohort will shift to Powell Middle School.
- Pecan Park Elementary School’s kindergarten through 2nd graders will shift to Lake Elementary and 3rd through 5th graders will shift to Johnson Elementary while facility challenges are addressed.
- Jim Hill High School will utilize its 9th Grade Academy building and Isable Elementary while facility challenges are addressed.
- To accommodate Jim Hill High School, Isable Elementary School’s pre-kindergarten through 2nd graders will shift to Lester Elementary and 3rd through 5th graders will shift to Marshall Elementary.
JPS held community meetings at each school affected by the approved proposal. After hearing concerns from parents and other stakeholders, the following revisions were made to the proposal:
- Accommodate siblings at one school
- Accommodate all rising 9th-graders at Jim Hill High School instead of utilizing Northwest Middle School
- Reopen the special program enrollment application for families at Isable Elementary and Pecan Park Elementary
- Intentionally assign familiar adults with scholars relocating to alternate school locations
For an in-depth look at the approved proposal and to watch the May 2 JPS Board of Trustees Meeting, please click the links below.
