JPS schools go virtual due to water crisis, but still offering breakfast and lunch

by Julia James, Mississippi Today
August 30, 2022

All Jackson Public School District students shifted to remote learning on Tuesday due to Jackson’s water crisis.

State officials announced Monday night that the water system for the city of Jackson was failing, with thousands of Jackson residents already having little or no water pressure and officials cannot say when adequate, reliable service will be restored.

The city water system has been plagued with problems for years, including tens of thousands of residents losing water for multiple weeks during a 2021 winter storm.

Bagged breakfast and lunch are being served at all JPS schools except for Forest Hill High School, which is closed for meals due to inadequate water pressure. Sherwin Johnson, JPS communications director, said that schools are using city water and boiling it to prepare meals. 

Breakfast is served from 7-9 a.m. and lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The district said in a press release that they are monitoring conditions on a day-by-day basis for when schools may be able to return to in-person learning. JPS announced Tuesday evening that they will continue remote instruction on Wednesday, and also added that there are several schools whose air conditioning system depends on water to run effectively.

“We’re having to shift very quickly to virtual learning and while some students are able to make that shift pretty quickly, we have quite a few students, our most vulnerable students, who are not able to make that shift effectively,” said George Stewart, president of the Jackson Association of Educators. “We all worry about our students when they are out virtual, we worry about their health and their safety. It’s not the best situation right now and educators are very concerned right now.”

Johnson also said that students were receiving a full instructional day virtually, but employees at Callaway High School said some of the district was only in operation for 80% of a traditional school day. 

Neighboring school districts said they have not experienced any water pressure issues, but Hinds County School District Superintendent Delesicia Martin said the district was providing bottled water to students and staff at three schools connected to the Jackson water system.

• Barack H Obama Elementary School: 750 N Congress St, Jackson, MS 39202
• Bailey Middle APAC School: 1900 N State St, Jackson, MS 39202
• Baker Elementary School: 300 E Santa Clair St, Jackson, MS 39212
• Bates Elementary School: 3180 McDowell Rd Ext, Jackson, MS 39204
• Blackburn Middle School: 1311 W Pearl St, Jackson, MS 39203
• Boyd Elementary School: 4531 Broadmeadow St, Jackson, MS 39206
• Brinkley Middle School: 3535 Albermarle Rd, Jackson, MS 39213
• Callaway High School: 601 Beasley Rd, Jackson, MS 39206
• Cardozo Middle School: 3180 McDowell Rd Ext, Jackson, MS 39204
• Casey Elementary School: 2101 Lake Cir, Jackson, MS 39211
• Chastain Middle School: 4650 Manhattan Rd, Jackson, MS 39206
• Clausell Elementary School: 3330 Harley St, Jackson, MS 39209
• Dawson Elementary School: 4215 Sunset Dr, Jackson, MS 39213
• Galloway Elementary School: 186 Idlewild St, Jackson, MS 39203
• Green Elementary School: 610 Forest Ave, Jackson, MS 39206
• Ida B. Wells APAC School: 1120 Riverside Dr, Jackson, MS 39202
• Jim Hill High School: 2185 Coach Fred Harris St, Jackson, MS 39204
• John Hopkins Elementary School: 170 John Hopkins Rd, Jackson, MS 39209
• Isable Elementary School: 1716 Isable St, Jackson, MS 39204
• Johnson Elementary School: 1339 Oak Park Dr, Jackson, MS 39213
• Key Elementary School: 699 W McDowell Rd, Jackson, MS 39204
• Kirksey Middle School: 5677 Highland Dr, Jackson, MS 39206
• Lake Elementary School: 472 Mt Vernon Ave, Jackson, MS 39209
• Lanier High School: 833 Maple St, Jackson, MS 39203
• Lester Elementary School: 2350 Oakhurst Dr, Jackson, MS 39204
• Marshall Elementary School: 2909 Oak Forest Dr, Jackson, MS 39212
• Mc Leod Elementary School: 1616 Sandlewood Pl, Jackson, MS 39211
• McWillie Elementary School: 4851 McWillie Cir, Jackson, MS 39206
• Murrah High School: 1400 Murrah Dr, Jackson, MS 39202
• North Jackson Elementary School: 650 James M Davis Dr, Jackson, MS 39206
• Northwest Middle School: 7020 US-49 N, Jackson, MS 39213
• Oak Forest Elementary School: 1831 Smallwood St, Jackson, MS 39212
• Pecan Park Elementary School: 415 Claiborne Ave, Jackson, MS 39209
• Peeples Middle School: 2940 Belvedere Dr, Jackson, MS 39212
• Powell Middle School: 3655 Livingston Rd, Jackson, MS 39213
• Provine High School: 2400 Robinson St, Jackson, MS 39209
• Raines Elementary School: 156 N Flag Chapel Rd, Jackson, MS 39209
• Shirley Elementary School: 330 Judy St, Jackson, MS 39212
• Smith Elementary School: 3900 Parkway Ave, Jackson, MS 39213
• Spann Elementary School: 1615 Brecon Dr, Jackson, MS 39211
• Sykes Elementary School: 3555 Simpson St, Jackson, MS 39212
• Timberlawn Elementary School: 1980 N Siwell Rd, Jackson, MS 39209
• Van Winkle Elementary School: 1655 Whiting Rd, Jackson, MS 39209
• Walton Elementary School: 3200 Bailey Ave, Jackson, MS 39213
• Whitten Middle School: 210 Daniel Lake Blvd, Jackson, MS 39212
• Wilkins Elementary School: 1970 Castle Hill Dr, Jackson, MS 39204
• Wingfield High School: 1985 Scanlon Dr, Jackson, MS 39204

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.