School board members meet to discuss approval of land for new school

JACKSON, Tenn. — Jackson-Madison County school board members met to discuss important topics as well as the approval of land to build a new school.

The board gathered for their monthly work session and board meeting Thursday. At the meeting, one of the topics discussed was the recent decision to buy property for a new school.

“The board voted to take the option on the 42 acres on Ashport Road,” said former school board chair, Kevin Alexander.

In August the Madison County Commission Finance Committee voted to recommend buying property for a new K-8 school on Ashport Road.

The two options for land were Ashport and Passmore Lane. At Thursday’s meeting, board members voted 5 to 4 to go with the land on Ashport Road.

“I am glad that we are done with it,” said Alexander. “I am glad it’s been voted on. We move forward and just proceed on the process, and just hopefully this public proposal will go through, and then we can just go from there.”

At the meeting the election of a new board chair was made. James Pete Johnson was elected as new chairman for the Jackson-Madison County School System, succeeding board chair, Kevin Alexander.

“I felt called to do it,” said Alexander. “I enjoyed it to some degree, and I am happy to serve this community, and it can sometimes be just an uphill battle.”

“It’s an opportunity for me to work closer my second year with the administration and with board members, becoming more familiar with them and developing an entire team with the school board and also to use our leverage as school board members to enforce policies that will assist our administrators and teachers to do a better job,” Johnson said.

School leaders say no date has been set on when construction on the new school on Ashport will begin.