Jackson sophomores attend orientation amid high-school construction project

On Friday, sophomores attended orientation at Jackson High School as new students to the building. District officials said this should be the final year for that.

Superintendent John Link said next year, the high school should be ready for grades nine through 12 to attend together.

Link said construction remains on track for freshmen to join the high school when classes begin in August 2018.

“We still need to finish getting the site cleaned up,” Link said, noting some rock and other debris still are on the site from the demolition of Jackson’s “Old A” building in June.

More than 6,000 bricks were given away by the district to people who came by the demolition site, Link said at the July school board meeting. Other bricks were held in reserve for projects at the new facility.

Clay Turner, left, helps sophomores, Bronsyn Bell, center, and Matthew Bumpus, right, with their Chromebooks during sophomore orientation Friday at Jackson High School.Andrew J. Whitaker

The bidding for the new facility has begun with smaller packages such as footings and steel, Link said, but the district is putting together larger bid packages as a necessary step before construction can begin.

In April, Jackson voters approved Proposition J, a $22 million bond issue that did not increase taxes but funded multiple capital improvements across the district.

“We’re looking forward to it,” Link said of the projects.

Ninth-grade students still are at R.O. Hawkins Junior High in Jackson this school year, which begins Thursday.

Assistant superintendent Matt Lacy said orientation went smoothly for students last week, especially with the registration of student devices as part of the One 4 One program.

“We’ve been communicating with parents since April,” Lacy said.

The One 4 One program aims to integrate technology into the classroom in a way that makes sense and increases student learning, Lacy said.

Each student will receive his or her own device, a Chromebook, to work on assignments and become more fluent with technology, Lacy said.

The program will emphasize the four C’s identified in the district’s comprehensive strategic plan: creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration.

“The steering committee met all last year,” he said. “This is the culmination of years’ worth of work, and it’s gratifying to see that in the classroom.”

Because the teachers had their Chromebooks a year ago, they’re familiar with them and can help students troubleshoot problems.

“We did add one information-technology person to our staff,” Lacy said.

A repair class also is in place for the upcoming school year.

“This can prepare students for certification training and teach them soft skills as well,” Lacy said.

“We borrowed ideas from other schools,” he said. “Having time to research has been critical.”

Another help is all Jackson School District buildings have Wi-Fi.

“It provides equity for all students,” Link said, which was identified as a need in the district.

Link said even if a student doesn’t have Wi-Fi at home, a student can complete homework assignments at home on a device. As soon as that device accesses the school’s Wi-Fi network, the device will sync up.

“Equity is huge,” Lacy said. “Our tech push is great, and every student has access through the initiative. It’s essential for student career readiness.”

District spokeswoman Merideth Pobst said the district office is seeking businesses that will allow students to make a small purchase and access the business’ Wi-Fi to expand functionality of students’ devices.

“It’s exciting,” Lacy said. “It’s been a lot of work, but seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces makes it all worth it.”

Jackson High School principal Seth Harrell said this year’s sophomore class is 380 students, which is consistent with other classes at the building.

“We’re always at about 1,200,” Harrell said of the total.

He’s looking forward to the school year, seeing new faces of the sophomores and learning names to those faces, Harrell said.

“We want an overall great experience for them,” Harrell said.

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