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Midtown residents urge JPS to act on closed school properties after repeated fires at Brown Elementary
Summary
A Midtown neighborhood representative said Brown Elementary — closed since 2018 — has burned multiple times and urged the district to clarify insurance, claims and disposition plans for vacant school buildings.
Jennifer West, a member of the Midtown Neighborhood Association, told the Jackson Public School District board that Brown Elementary has burned at least five times since its closure in 2018 and urged immediate action on vacant school properties.
West said the vacant buildings draw trespassers and members of the homeless community and create safety hazards for surrounding neighborhoods. She asked the board whether the closed schools are insured, whether the district has filed claims for fire losses, and whether insurance proceeds — if any — would be used to demolish or repair damaged buildings.
The speaker listed other closed properties in Midtown and nearby neighborhoods and said some buildings have pending transactions: Chestnut (pending contract), Marshall Elementary (pending), and Poindexter (under contract). "It is not fair to taxpayers, and it's not fair to the neighborhoods that surround these properties that we are asking for you to make some changes soon," West said.
Why it matters: Vacant school buildings can create public-safety, blight and fiscal liabilities. West requested clearer timelines and more transparency on whether the district will pursue demolition, donation, sale or remediation of closed facilities.
No formal district response resolving the questions was recorded during the public-comment segment; the remarks were delivered during the public comment portion of the meeting.
