School district holds meeting, votes on building arrangements

JACKSON, Tenn. — The Jackson Madison County School District held a board meeting to discuss several items on their agenda this evening, April 18.

The school board meeting started off with acknowledging students who excelled in their reading and ACT scores.

Then, it was time to discuss future plans.

Jackson Madison County School Board Member of District 6, Position 1, Janice Hampton, kicked off the board meeting telling Superintendent Marlon King about how some community members felt regarding making a sale of the Board of Education Building on North Parkway to the county commissioners.

“So we thought that building would be more useful in terms of being a central help for the central office, so that’s one of the reason the central office transitioned to that. Mayor conger was generous enough to allow us to keep the building after we vacated the building because actually the building was supposed to go back to the city,” said King.

King stated that when it comes to taxpayers dollars, we have to consider collaboration.

The county commission passed the motion in a vote 23-0 in support of them occupying the building on North Parkway and the board vacating the building.

District 3’s School Board member, Debbie Gaugh said that she did not agree with the plan because she did not feel there was enough information.

“I have no doubt with the county commission, when they see that we need new schools, we’ll build them. But do you know how long that’s gonna take? Five plus years,” said Gaugh.

She said that they were told that Blue Oval would bring possibly bring a large influx of people and children to the area.

She says her fear is there will not be room for the new children in any of the existing schools.

“I think we should hold our reserves til’ we know how Blue Oval is going to affect us and part of that is holding this building to turn back into a school if we have to have it,” said Gaugh.

She says she is not against the county having the building, just nervous that the space will be needed and they will not have it.

“It belongs to them. I’m one of the few people that thinks they don’t even have to pay. It belongs to them,” said Gaugh.

Gaugh also motioned to table the discussion on the North Parkway Building but it was voted down.

A vote was taken and approved that the board would give the North Parkway Building to the county.

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