Jackson Public Schools board approves package including CTE expansions, property sale, data‑center project and salary increases

The Jackson Public School District Board of Trustees on March 18 approved a set of agenda items covering program expansions, property disposition, capital projects and personnel matters.

Trustees approved a single collective motion to accept items A–K presented by administration; the motion was moved by James and seconded by Cynthia and recorded with no nays. Administrators presented details for many of the approved items during the meeting; the board accepted the group motion rather than individual roll‑call votes for each item.

Votes at a glance

- CTE program changes for 2025–26: Approved. The board approved five requested program changes to align career and technical education with local labor‑market needs. Additions include computer science and engineering programs at Callaway and Murrah high schools, an additional unit at the Career Development Center to serve Henley Young Patton students, and reestablishment of barbering and cosmetology programs at the Career Development Center; one existing fire‑science section will be converted to welding. Administrators said the state will reimburse staffing for two teacher positions used in a teacher‑residency program. The board was told the district expects MDE funding notifications this summer and that only one additional staff position is needed immediately.

- Poindexter Elementary sale (Purchase and Sale Agreement): Approved. Administrators recommended declaring Poindexter Elementary surplus and approving a purchase and sale agreement to MSD 2, Mississippi Limited Partnership on behalf of Gulf Coast Housing Partnership Inc. and the Center for Social Entrepreneurship. The purchase price was listed as $400,000 with $5,000 earnest money at signing and an additional $35,000 conditional on securing further funding. The board authorized the due‑diligence period and agreement execution.

- Energy service agreement with Schneider Electric (ESCO) to build district data center and network operations center: Approved. The board authorized a project scope based on prior Schneider audits under RFQ 2303 and agreed to fund the work from limited tax note (staff said $2,000,000 of a previously authorized $40,000,000 limited tax note would be used for this project). Administrators described the ESCO model as allowing technical trade specialists to scope, design and manage construction with guaranteed performance and lifecycle savings; Siemens was cited as a prior ESCO arrangement that yielded estimated savings in prior years.

- Revised salary schedules for principals, assistant principals and deans of students: Approved. The board approved a revision that raises the base of the listed schedules by 12 percent, increases high‑school principal contract days from 219 to 225 and assistant principal days from 204 to 215, and creates a separate salary schedule for deans of students. Administrators said the adjustments follow an informal salary study to align administrative compensation with regional peers and to increase on‑site administrative time.

- Monthly financial report for February 2025: Approved. The board accepted the district’s financial report showing an increase in fund balance from the prior year (administrators reported a roughly $24.6 million improvement year‑over‑year) and noted a cash‑flow position the district characterized as improved; administrators also flagged special‑revenue timing issues and a delayed federal liquidation drawdown that may affect cash timing.

Other approved items (part of items A–K and consent agendas)

- Award of RFP 2024‑25 Scholar Transportation Services to First Student Inc. (see separate coverage). The board accepted a contract that covers up to 70 routes and includes KPIs such as GPS‑based tracking and on‑time performance metrics.

- Memorandum of Understanding with Mississippi Department of Education for the Educator Residency Program: Approved for review and participation; the district will allocate two teacher positions to the residency program and said the state reimburses those positions.

- MOU with Mississippi Arts Commission and contract with Kinetic Etchings for arts teaching‑artist services at Green Elementary: Approved; agreement extends the school’s whole‑school arts program and adds dance instruction for the next school year.

- Lease agreement: Approved. The district approved a lease for property at 1500 Lindy Air Road (tax parcel 201‑10), described in the packet as an existing mobile‑home and RV park; administrators said the new lessee will continue the current operation.

- Amended contracts for Kids First LLC and The Kirkland Group: Approved additional days of support after a benchmark review and budget revision identified additional needs for teacher support in specific content areas.

- Consent agendas (finance, general and personnel) and a motion to close the meeting for executive‑session considerations: Approved.

What administrators reported in the meeting

Administrators also provided a detailed ESSER capital‑projects update (information only) listing projects across roughly 28 school sites. Highlights presented included Bailey (described as the largest ESSER project at about $19.5 million that included roof and HVAC replacement and restroom renovations), Pecan Park (noted as a more than $10 million HVAC renovation project), and a series of restroom, HVAC and window projects across other campuses; staff said most projects had reached substantial completion and remaining punch‑list work was ongoing. The ESSER update was informational and was not a separate board vote.

How the board voted

A single collective motion to approve items A–K was moved by James and seconded by Cynthia; the board recorded no nays and the motion carried. Consent agenda items for finance, general and personnel were approved in subsequent collective motions with similar unanimous voice votes.

Next steps and oversight

Multiple items approved on March 18 require follow‑up: administrators said they will provide funding details once the Mississippi Department of Education releases program funding, will manage due diligence on the Poindexter property sale, commission Schneider’s ESCO project management tasks if scope documents are signed, monitor transportation KPIs and report back to the board on implementation timelines and results. Trustees asked staff to return with more granular budget and operational data for several items, including the CTE funding allotment and Schneider project cost controls.