Declining student enrollment has forced Jackson Public Schools to close a number of schools in recent years, but a bill that passed the Legislature on April 1 could make it easier for the district to get rid of those buildings.
Though districts across the state have been steadily losing students for more than a decade, JPS has lost the third-highest percentage of students in the state. JPS enrollment declined from 29,488 students during the 2013-14 school year to 16,968 in the current year, according to data from the state Department of Education. That’s nearly half of the district’s student population.
Consequently, leaders of the state’s third largest school district have had to close district-owned buildings. In 2023, the JPS school board voted to close 13 school buildings to decrease costs. The number of closures rose to 17 as of last month, according to the district’s website. Of those 17, two buildings have been sold and one is pending sale.
Sherwin Johnson, a JPS spokesperson, said declining enrollment necessitated the closures and are part of an effort to wisely use the district’s resources.
But state law doesn’t make it easy to sell school buildings.
Under Mississippi law, school buildings revert back to district ownership if the new owner uses them for purposes other than operating a school. Charter schools legally have the right of first refusal to purchase closed public school buildings, but there’s no deadline enshrined in state law.
House Bill 1395 would change both of those things, allowing for alternative use of the buildings and establishing a 12-month timeframe for charter schools to decide whether to buy a building.
By streamlining the process to off-load school buildings, Sen. David Blount, a Democrat from Jackson, said he hopes JPS can more easily sell its unused facilities. While Blount didn’t author the bill, he introduced similar legislation during the legislative session and championed HB 1395 in his chamber, and the bill’s final version includes language he authored.
“Jackson Public Schools officials are making difficult but necessary decisions about having the appropriate number of school buildings, given the current enrollment in the district,” he said in an email. “We want to help the district dispose of those buildings, hopefully for redevelopment.”
School closures can be controversial, especially for schools with long histories in their communities. Some of the closed buildings have been in their neighborhoods for decades.
Still, Johnson said the closures have been necessary for the district to make improvements elsewhere. He declined to comment on the bill.
“Importantly, these strategic decisions have also allowed the district to reinvest resources directly into its people,” he said. “As a result of the efficiencies gained through school closures, JPS has been able to provide pay raises to its staff, therefore, supporting recruitment, retention, and overall organizational effectiveness.”
He said Jackson Public Schools does not anticipate more school closures in the upcoming year.
