(December 2, 2014) JACKSON Tenn — At Monday night’s Jackson-Madison County School Board work session, the board heard an update school building capacity, an update on employee insurance, heard a presentation on the Northeast Middle School Academy, and discussed dates for a school board retreat.
The board heard from building operations director Jon Mills and continued their discussion on the capacity of schools.
According to School Board Chairman Jim Campbell the schools are at about 62 percent capacity right now. Board member Joe Mays said the district has approximately the same number of students as it did when he joined the board 20 years ago. During that same period the District has opened seven schools and closed two.
Board member David Clifft noted that with space readily available in many buildings it seemed to him a waste of energy and resources that so many schools were using portable buildings. Board member Bob Alvey echoed that concern as well as citing safety issues. Over the years many schools have added portable buildings to use as classrooms.
The board discussed the 2015 -16 calendar committee and were told they would begin meeting in January of next year. David Clifft had two requests to put on Thursday’s agenda regarding that committee. Clifft would like to see the winter holiday break named Christmas Break, and would also like to Veteran’s Day to be a school holiday
Northeast Middle School Academic Academy staff and students at the school presented the board with an update.
Northeast Principal Teresa Tritt told the board the program is a work in progress. She brought with her two students and three staff members to talk about the school accomplishments for the first semester.
Sixth-grader Olivia Pace and eighth-grader Myles Gibson talked about how they have grown and changed in the new classroom learning environment.
Tritt told the board the Academic Academy has been a success.
The next Jackson-Madison County School Board is scheduled at 6 p.m. Thursday in the board room at 310 North Parkway. To view the meeting agenda, visit www.boarddocs.com/tn/jmcstn/Board.nsf/Public
