School board budget committee considers classrooms, salaries and technology

JACKSON, Tenn. — The Jackson-Madison County School Board Budget Committee met Thursday evening to map out a financial plan for the school system.

During the meeting, members discussed the possibility of opening ten new Pre-K classrooms and adding a 5% pay increase for teachers.

But according to Jackson-Madison County Schools Superintendent Dr. Eric Jones, adding both of those to their existing budget would cause the school system to go broke in about two years.

Members also discussed the financial benefits of leasing technology instead of buying new gadgets.

“The idea of owning the devices that we are going to be having in the hands of children really doesn’t make sense in the current context of how evolving technology is. So it’s just an option that gives us a bigger bang for our buck and lets us do more for our students,” Jones said.

During the meeting, there was also an update on the two stadiums that will be built at North Side and South Side High Schools.

They predict demolitions will begin next week.