JMC School Board advisers talk possible school closures
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MADISON COUNTY, Tenn. — The Jackson-Madison County School Board held a special meeting Monday to give more specific plans for what major changes could be coming to the school system. Teachers, principals and parents packed the central office for a first chance to hear the latest plans for the school system’s Vision 2020. “If we’re going to go through this and make the difficult decision that needs to be made, we need to do it right with the long term in mind, and so that is the basis for the alternatives that we’re showing this week,” consultant Eric Bosman said. The alternatives came in two sets of plans — one set for elementary and middle schools, the other for high schools. “What we looked at today is more defined than our last series of meetings, but still a number of different options to consider, to mix and match,” school board chairman Jim Campbell said. In each plan, four schools — Nova, Beech Bluff and Malesus elementary schools and West Middle School — would close, a move advisers from Kimley-Horn say can save between $500,000 and a million dollars per school each year. High school options range from closing Jackson Central-Merry to converting Liberty Tech into a specialty-only school. Schools such as Bemis Montessori and the Early College High would stay and an elementary academy would be created. Officials say nothing is set in stone. “We are fully willing to go back and look at variations on these themes and different alternatives,” Bosman said. “In fact, I can honestly say we’ve ran an alternative for every individual school that is changed in these scenarios.” The school board is holding a series of public meetings on the Vision 2020 plan. Visit the Seen on 7 section of our website to find a link to the full schedule of meetings.
