JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Leaders with the Jackson Public School District (JPS) voted in favor of an optimization plan for the district. The plan was approved in a 5-1 vote on Tuesday, December 19.
Initially, the JPS Board of Trustees considered closing or consolidating 16 schools in the district. The plan was announced in October 2023.
In early December, the Board decided to remove Clausell Elementary, Green Elementary and Key Elementary from the recommended closure list. According to the plan, the following schools will be closed effective during the 2024-2025 school year:
- Dawson Elementary
- Lake Elementary
- Lester Elementary
- Marshall Elementary
- Raines Elementary
- Sykes Elementary
- Shirley Elementary
- G.N. Smith Elementary
- Chastain Middle
- Whitten Middle
- Wingfield High
The consolidation of Obama IB Elementary and Wells APAC Elementary with their respective middle schools—Northwest IB and Bailey APAC—will be postponed until 2025. JPS officials said this delay allows for the completion of renovations at Bailey APAC Middle School.
The public tried to convince the Board to vote against closing or consolidating the schools early on in the meeting. One Board member brought forth an amendment for taking Wingfield High off of the recommended closure list, but the amendment failed in a 3-3 vote.
Following the vote, JPS Superintendent Dr. Errick Greene emphasized the importance of capitalizing on improving projects that need to take place within the schools.
Greene has said the proposed closures are not performance-based but are due to a decline in enrollment, facility infrastructure issues and staffing issues.
The superintendent said JPS has lost more than 9,500 students since the 2015-16 school year, and there are more than 400 staffing vacancies. He added that closing or consolidating those schools could save more than $17 million per year and more than $174 million in renovation costs.
JPS leaders said they want to see the buildings be used for community development.