Work Session gives insight in school system updates
JACKSON, Tenn. — Jackson-Madison County School leaders held their monthly Work Session to discuss updates and progress happening throughout the district.
The meeting started with some updates on finances for the district and progress of Pope School, which is scheduled for completion in 2025. But the main focus of the meeting was student achievement.
“We are very proud this year that the district was recognized as a level five district, showing that our kids have grown significantly as well as having large number of our schools that were individually recognized for being level five schools,” said Catherine Corth, the Chief Accountability Assessment Officer for the Jackson-Madison County School System.
The district is seeing growth across the board, especially with test scores. However, in 2022 specifically, high school students are missing needed time in the classroom.
“We recognize that we need to prove our chronic absenteeism rates. We’re definitely making it a mission to get the kids to school everyday,” Corth said.
After making changes to teacher salary schedule, Superintendent Dr. Marlon King wants to focus on how to make teachers want to stay with the school system.
“We’re trying to make sure we’re paying our people what we should be paying them, but then it’s the little things. Once you get the pay right, you have to make sure that you’re giving your teacher the support you need and the little things that they need to be successful,” said Jason Compton, a school board member.
District leaders are also planning on moving the central office to a different building. Currently, it’s located on North Parkway.
The plan is to move to the old former Madison Academic building and Oman Arena. The hope is that this can be completed in the next 18 months.
“There’s ESSER funds from the federal government that are being spent on these things and there is a timeline on those funds that have to be spent 2023, have to spent by 2024, or we lose them. So those are funds that have to be spent on non-recurring expenses,” Compton said.
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