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Board approves grants, partnerships and routine contracts; dual-enrollment and juvenile education agreements highlighted
Summary
The Jackson Public School District board approved multiple grants, MOUs and routine contracts at its June meeting, including a Save the Music grant expansion, a dual-enrollment MOU with Hinds Community College and a Sankofa Chronicles SEL pilot agreement.
At its June meeting the Jackson Public School District board approved a slate of grants, memoranda of understanding and routine contracts covering arts instruction, dual enrollment, social-emotional learning pilots, juvenile-justice education services, special-education placements, security services and operational items.
Key approvals and information presented:
- Save the Music Foundation grant: The district recommended approval of a fourth-year grant to expand Save the Music programming to Key Elementary School.
- Dual-enrollment MOU with Hinds Community College: The administration reported that all six JPS high schools participate in dual enrollment with 389 scholars enrolled and a 99% success rate (C or better) for dual-enrollment courses; the board reviewed and approved the MOU.
- MOU and data-sharing agreement with Empirical Education for the Sankofa Chronicles SEL pilot: The district will pilot Sankofa Chronicles, an SEL curriculum using near-peer videos produced with Jackson State and Tougaloo students. The pilot uses an experimental design (treatment and control groups), includes pre/post surveys and will undergo IRB review for human-subjects protections.
- Agreement for educational services with Hinds County Board of Supervisors: The board approved the renewal of services at the Henley Young Patton Juvenile Justice Center; administrators reported improved staffing and fewer absences that previously limited students’ access to instruction.
- Special-education placement agreements: Renewals with Mill Creek Schools (McGee and Pearl) and Canopy Care School were approved; district staff said there are currently no students at Mill Creek and five scholars attending Canopy Care, with one scholar on a transitional return to a JPS high school.
- Interagency agreement with Hinds County Human Resource Agency (Head Start): The board approved an agreement to coordinate special-education services for preschool children (ages 3–5) and shared parent feedback praising regular teacher communication and developmental gains.
- Security services: The board reviewed and approved an agreement with Austin Security & Crime Prevention to provide site security and event security at district facilities. The district said it had checked references and cited similar scopes of work for local agencies and detention facilities.
- Community and operational agreements: The board approved a memorandum of agreement with Improve Your Tomorrow to provide mentoring to 100 scholars at Blackburn and Powell middle schools, and an agreement to implement BadgePass student ID badges for entry scanning and attendance integration with PowerSchool (administrators said replacement-badge fees will be monitored during the first year).
- Finance and personnel items: The board approved the monthly financial report for the period ending May 31, 2025; the report showed an increase in fund balance versus the prior year and detailed pending draws on ESSER/ARC funds and other revenue/expenditure summaries. Consent agenda items for finance, general business and personnel were approved as a slate.
All consent and information items reported at the meeting carried with motions and unanimous "aye" votes recorded in the minutes. Several items were approved on a slate vote; the board moved to executive session on personnel and other listed matters at the end of the public meeting.
