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Jackson-Madison County superintendent details literacy gains, enrollment rise and school supports
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Marlon King told the Madison County Board of Commissioners that enrollment and state funding rose, literacy pilots showed early gains, and the district is expanding student programs and supports, while flagging persistent student homelessness and contract-review changes.
Dr. Marlon King, superintendent of the Jackson-Madison County School System, told the Madison County Board of Commissioners on April 21 that the district has seen rising enrollment and improved academic measures after a year of targeted initiatives.
King said the district generated roughly $2 million in additional revenue because more students enrolled and that “because of our student outcomes, we received about a million dollars in revenue.” He credited gains on indicators tied to third-grade reading, middle-school reading and mathematics, and high-school ACT results for the extra funding.
The superintendent highlighted the district’s “Leap Up for Literacy” campaign and a pilot shift from a whole-language to a phonics-based reading curriculum. King said the phonics pilot began in November and “when we looked at our benchmark results of the students that piloted the pilots, we have seen remarkable improvement,” and that the district plans expanded implementation next year.
King described new incentives and supports for high-performing students and others: an “ACT 30-plus” recognition that includes a commemorative card and a laptop at senior year funded by the district’s education foundation. He also said extracurricular offerings have expanded, with robotics programs, green power racing, more clubs and new elementary-level athletics such as indoor soccer and elementary basketball.
On safety and staffing, King told commissioners the district is “97% fully staff” for elementary-school SRO (school resource officer) positions, which he said parents cited as a reason for increased confidence in the public schools.
King also described persistent hardship among students: he said last year 246 district students were classified as homeless, down from 296 the prior year, and that some students “are homeless, sleeping in cars.”
On district finances and contracting, King said the district’s audited fund balance has grown since 2021 and that he is initiating more rigorous contract reviews: “I want y’all to do an audit of this contract and find out, are we gonna return all the services that we're putting out there?” He said the district will move some vendor payments to quarterly disbursements to better match services delivered.
King credited community partnerships, the county’s STAR Teacher grant that supplements teacher classroom supplies, and collaborations with law enforcement and local businesses for several program expansions.
The superintendent’s remarks were made during the commissioners’ meeting and were followed by board appreciation and brief commissioner comments.
