Jackson schools get storage grant

Storing 113 years' worth of permanent school records isn't an easy task for a district with space shortages.

The Jackson R-II School District has an estimated 140 linear feet of old school records to contend with, said Sam Duncan, director of state and federal programs.

With additional storage space not an option, Duncan turned to a state grant from the Local Records Preservation Program.

The grant allowed the district to purchase shelving last year, doubling the school's storage capacity and ensuring enough space for the next 25 years.

"The first-year grant was just to get the records in a safe, secure place so we have room to expand," Duncan said.

But there's still work to be done, and with a second Local Records grant, this one in the amount of $8,493, the school will be able to purchase a new microfilm system and make the existing records more accessible.

This year's grant will also allow for the purchase of supplies and the conversion of paper records to microfilm format.