Jackson Jambalaya

The money is more than there!! It’s called piss poor management that plagues everything in Jackson/Hinds county! I hope she directs this comment to her School board and not the state!!

Jackson resident here. Now you know why all these single moms are trying to get there kids into charter schools. I can’t imagine a district that spends and get to use the huge sum of money they do at JPS and have these conditions. It’s crooked and so are the leaders. Sick!!! JPS needs a state takeover.

Up the mills! Trust JPS to fix it!

I’m usually a critic but good job Representative Summers bringing this to light!

JPS gets more and more money. They spend far more percentage on administration than any other district. It’s like everything else in Jackson. Corruption. Plenty of money but it all goes to political cronies instead of the public good. Very much like the stereotypical third world country

All year, I've seen school districts across the state putting out large-scale renovation projects for bid using ESSER funds.

I only saw a few small JPS Renovation projects.

Did no one apply for these funds? Is JPS not eligible for some reason?

To summarize: We have met the enemy and it is us. What school district is Jim Hill in? Ooops, never mind.

JPS is bleeding students. Too many schools and other facilities. The political will exists to shakedown taxpayers for millage or bond dollars but nobody ever wants to talk about consolidation and right-sizing. Not that unlike the logic the Mayor Sewage Polluter applies to everything in Jackson.

“ Nevertheless, why should our schools suffer when schools across the bridge are pristine and conducive for learning? I am aware that property taxes (or the lack thereof) play a role in that. However, we must prioritize and tackle every avenue to ensure our children are successful.”

Maybe she should ask why JPS receives so much money and spends so much on administrative nonsense. Maybe it’s just easier to blame people on the other side of the bridge?

JPS gets more property tax revenue per student than any district in the state, including so-called wealthy districts such as Desoto.

Where’s she been for the last 20 years?

How much does the superindent of JPS earn?

Take it out of his salary.

As I recall the state tried to take over this fiasco of a school district a few years ago but ole Phil in his infinite wisdom refused to sign the order (despite telling MDE he would don advance meetings). Not saying MDE could handle it better but then again maybe I am.

"The water outside is puddling up because there aint no irrigation".

Irrigation, drainage, whatever. She's only a State Representative. Clueless and hopeless.

Have state take over whole city. Too many problems to address individually. Everyone of the numerous problems blamed on someone other than the city. It will never change no matter how much money under the current no-leadership

Representative Summers - Jackson Public School District gets MORE property tax revenue per student than whatever school district 'across the bridge' that you think is pristine, or for that matter than ANY other school district in the state.

The problem is JPS spends its tax revenue on something other than the kids. It spends it on Administrators that are supposed to be responsible for taking care of these things you are pointing out as failures.

Before the state has any responsibity for fixing any of these problems, first lets look at how much JPS received in ARPA dollars, and if they have done anything with it, other than hire more administrators or done some 'studies' to try to figure out what needs to be done.

Lets look at how many school facilities they are still trying to maintain for the student population that decreased by a third over the past few years.

And, by the way Ms. Summers, if you walk in many many grassy areas of the state at the right time over any of the past few days, there will be standing water - or puddles as you call them - in areas. The ground is saturated, and no amount of irrigation, or even the reverse of irrigation which is called drainage - would fix it immediately.

But thanks for your selfie video - I'm hope you enjoyed seeing how bad your elected leaders are doing. Why don't you do something positive in your role as a legislator and put some limits on how much a school district can spend on administrators compared to students and learning.

Not about money Madame Representative. I see no reason JPS should get a dime more from any tax source including that bill until they spend all the money they already have. Too much inaction in critical times by their leadership.

@9:53
What the hell are you talking about? JPS has more money than any district per head or student!!! Too many schools? We don’t need more taxes for Jackson schools. They need less money in pockets. Difference is leadership. Plus no other district would screw taxpayers or students like JPS does. My god it’s criminal really.

Separate but Equal.

Where did all of that school improvement bond money go?

Wait a minute, didnt they pass a huge bond just a few years ago to address needed repairs to these buildings?

Separate but equal? Hell no one gets the money JPS does
It’s failed leadership.

Was that recent school improvement bond money used to attend school conferences in Paris?

7:55. I remember that. It was billed as a difference maker.

the only difference it made was the upgrade to a BMW 7 series from a 3 for the administration..

Money isn't the problem. Money management is the problem. They need to trim the fat in the employee base. They need to work harder AND work smarter. When building repair is needed, they need to hire qualified contractors. They are running a business. It takes work, effort, time, and intelligence. The leadership in JPS is lacking all of that.

Have a Referendum for School Choice and Vouchers. Empower Parents, weaken administrators and teachers' union(s). Moratorium for taxpayer paid junkets for all Jackson, Hinds and JPS employees, including Jackson's punk mayor. They want a trip, do it on their time, their dime.

Perception problem: kids don't need AC if they can splash around in a pool of water.

The worst thing you can do for a building and in particular all of the mechanical systems is simply walk away from it. The place was clearly in disrepair prior to Covid but shutting down schools and walking away from the facilities for a couple of years will put you so far behind that you will never catch up. But follow the science. As these kids sit in un air conditioned rooms with sewage flowing in the bathrooms, tiles falling down everywhere they need to feel good about all of the lives that were potentially saved by doing this...right Dr Dobbs? We should celebrate their sacrifice...maybe there is an appropriate Tik Tok video of nurses dancing in vacant hospital hallways that will cheer them up.

Thank goodness the students are only dodging standing water on the way to the field house. The rest of Jackson is dodging raw sewage. Yes, it is bad and shouldn't be happening but, suffice to say, if Lumumba was running JPS the problems would be far, far worse.

JPS Central Office and Ward Bond people live in a different world from much of the city. They pat each other on the back while ignoring the fact that JPS schools have HVAC issues, lack of desk despite decreasing student population, lack of athletic facilities (I think Provine/Hughes Field is the only school with a track that isn’t dirt).

JPS higher ups want the students to be dumb. Why else do they give them an automatic 50 every term and make 60 passing?

Actions speak louder than words.

Rumor is, like the Mayor, the Superintendent lives on a gated street.

In whose pockets did the bond money go? Come on KF, do your usual great investigate reporting and shed some daylight.

Don't want to hear anything about needing more money. last time I checked we had around 150 little kingdoms set up around the state. Teaching is one of the best jobs in the state because there is no accountability and you can retire after 25 years and get you one of those nice cushy "consulting" gigs. As always the kids get left behind and no one gives a damn.

No one has mentioned the real problem... the "children" that attend these schools tear everything up as soon as it is repaired.

There isn't any use in telling people that Jackson gets more money per child than any other school in Mississippi. There will never be enough money to even do the maintenance on the school buildings. It wouldn't matter if the state doubled the money per child amount to Jackson schools. The schools would still look the same.
The people cannot help but steal money that is available. All across Hinds county it is the same. People put in charge of money for anything steal it and pass it around to friends and family. They do not care about what the money is for.
I am beginning to think the whole state is going the way Hinds county and Jackson are headed. In a state where the capitol city was in the shape our is in would have moved the capitol to another city which would better reflect the people of the state. Sadly, I think Jackson is the right representative for our state.

"Money isn't the problem. Money management is the problem. They need to trim the fat in the employee base. They need to work harder AND work smarter. When building repair is needed, they need to hire qualified contractors. They are running a business. It takes work, effort, time, and intelligence. The leadership in JPS is lacking all of that."

Monitor the standardized test scores and graduation rates, and put all JPS employees on commission! Low baseline salary with with a generous incentive plan.

@ 10:57

that is nowhere NEAR the real problem. I worked at JPS for over 4 years and most of those children and their families are good people! The problem seems to me like there was a bond issue and someone somewhere stole all of their money!

This problem happens ALOT in Jackson

Are the children climbing the roof and doing damage sufficient to cause the roof to leak?

Wow it's time to fire EVERYBODY!!! Look how long schools were out. This has been an ongoing problem and nobody cares. Thank you for showing what many inner-city schools look like. The big wigs keep their pockets lined while our children suffer in such horrible conditions. Where is the only going. The city of Jackson is taxed higher than any other city but yet it looks like a war zone. Fire everyone from the Governor on down to the City Council members.

The school has a 3% proficiency rate in math. It has a higher pregnancy rate.

https://mcaps.mdek12.org/Funding/Sections/SupplementalScheduleV2.aspx?ccipSessionKey=637962207711342888

Have the democrats not realized anything under their idiotic leadership has a very large probability of failure!