JMCSS superintendent talks achievements, next steps for district

JACKSON, Tenn. — Local leaders heard from Jackson-Madison County School Superintendent Dr. Marlon King on district achievements and what the next steps are.

King says after the pandemic caused a decline in reading scores for students. They then decided to bring students back in person and the numbers started to increase.

“The improvement that we made, from 19 to 23%, which we did better this year than we did before the pandemic. That is bringing kids back to school,” King said.

He says moving forward into the future for JMCSS, they want to make sure that a student’s family is a part of their education as well.

“We work with our families to engage them more around what support systems and things you can do to support your child. What we want to do is continue to make progress,” King said.

Another topic discussed was safety in schools.

Both Jackson police and the Madison County Sheriff’s Office say they have been working closely with the district to make sure plans are in place to keep students and staff safe.

School Board Chair Pete Johnson says safety is the number one priority.

“Partnering with our police enforcement, sheriff’s department, and county commission is supporting us with more funds for more metal detectors. We wanted to take a step farther and make sure that we have extra things in place to protect our kids and our employees,” Johnson said.

Johnson says the district is continuing to make sure that the school system’s teachers are provided for.

“We are continuing to be competitive salary wise. To continue to move the needle, we need those teachers and the experienced teachers to continue in our system,” Johnson said.

King says they plan to continue to strive for education excellence in the future.

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