Ground broke on new school in Jackson
JACKSON, Tenn. — After opening in 1949, one Jackson-Madison County school is getting a new look and a new location.
On Monday afternoon, officials held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Pope School location, which is off Ashport Road near Pleasant Plains and Ivybrook Drive.
“We have just wrapped up our groundbreaking ceremony for Pope School. We’re going to see an unprecedented amount of growth in our community over the next few years, and this is just one project we have started to facilitate that growth,” said Melissa Spurgeon, the Chief of Staff for Jackson-Madison County School System.
Pope Elementary School, located on Old Humboldt Road in north Jackson, is currently the only public school in the rapidly developing area of northwest Madison County and has experienced overcrowding issues since the 1990s.
“I don’t know if you’ve been inside Pope School, but it’s our oldest school. It has had portables, which are supposed to be temporary buildings for about 25 years, I believe,” Spurgeon said.
Everyone is excited for the new school, especially teachers who are ready for better learning environments for their students.
“I’ve taught in the Pope building for more than 10 years. I’ve seen the decline in the building, and just having a new structure for students, I think is so exciting,” said Megan Jones, a Special Education teacher at Pope Elementary School.
The new Pope School will be switching to a pre-K through eighth format. It is expected to hold between 800 and 1,200 students.
Work on the rural lot should begin very soon, with hopes to complete in the next 18 months.
“Right now, the final design work is being done, the road study, and then you’ll start seeing some movement on the dirt in the next few months,” Spurgeon said.
At the moment, there are no plans for the current Pope Elementary School after construction is finished on the new building.
Find more local news here.
