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Jackson Public Schools wins $10 million GEAR UP grant; board approves partner MOUs
Summary
The board reviewed a $10 million GEAR UP federal grant targeting 1,500 sixth‑ and seventh‑grade students and approved multiple memoranda of understanding with higher‑education and cultural partners to deliver college‑readiness programming and enrichment.
The Jackson Public School District presented and the board approved a suite of agreements to implement a $10 million GEAR UP grant from the U.S. Department of Education that will serve roughly 1,500 sixth‑ and seventh‑grade students across six feeder schools, officials said. The grant requires a one‑to‑one district match and funds programming such as college‑readiness activities, enrichment, mentoring, professional development and evaluator services.
"This is a $10 million grant that was funded by the U.S. Department of Education to JPS," grant manager Dr. Harrison told trustees. She said the program will include in‑school and out‑of‑school supports, technology and enrichment, and that the district has planned the required local match and an initial APR submission. "There are a total of 1,500 students that will be involved in this cohort," she said.
Board members approved memoranda of understanding and service agreements with partners including Hinds Community College, Jackson State University, the Kirkland Group (teacher coaching), Labbachi (virtual‑reality STEM experiences), the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, the Mississippi Museum of Art and an external evaluator. The administration described steps to coordinate partner roles, avoid duplication and hire a grant manager to oversee rollout.
Questions from trustees covered funding timing (reimbursement draws), partner roles, and which schools would be included; Dr. Harrison identified the cohort schools as Blackburn, Callaway, Kirksey, Lenir, Peoples and Powell. She described reimbursements processed through the federal G5 portal and confirmed the district will document the local match.
Board members voted to approve the information/action items related to the grant partners after standard motions and seconding; votes were recorded as approved with no nays. The administration said next steps include hiring the grant manager and finalizing contracts and implementation timelines.
