BOE projecting huge growth in next 5 years

Most of that growth is projected to happen on the county's west side. Jamie Dove, Jackson County Public Development Director, gave a presentation to the BOE with a map showing the huge amount of new subdivisions being built on the county's west side.

"There's a lot going on," she said.

The 2028 projections show that the county's west side will have 11,659 students in five years compared to the east side which is projected have only 4,162 students.

Two new schools are currently in development on the west side, a new middle school and a new elementary school. The system is also starting to plan for a second high school on the west side, but no specifics have been decided.

School officials noted that the system doesn't have an adequate supply of land on which to build new schools and to give the school system "options" for growth. 

"We'd like to have more options for school placement," said superintendent Philip Brown.

The system does own a tract of land in North Jackson on Brooks Rd., but officials said there aren't any plans to build on that site within the next five years. One of the issues with that location is it will require a major upgrade to roads in the area, something county leaders have pointed out.

In a related development, Jackson County manager Kevin Poe told the BOE that the county and state were working on upgrading the interchange at Hwy. 124 and Skelton Rd., but that the thinking now is to put a roundabout at the site rather than a T-intersection as previously planned. He said that would delay the upgrade probably by a year.

Poe also told the BOE that the state was doing a major road study in West Jackson that should be completed by summer. It is one of only two major road studies in the state, he said, noting that transportation is a "huge issue" in the West Jackson area.