CMS, Madison zone to include Arlington, Andrew Jackson, Alexander schools

Zoning would become a priority in the randomized lottery process for entering Madison and CMS, which means 25% of students are from the neighborhood around CMS and the Midtown area where it is located.

The zoning includes the zones of three inner-city elementary schools: Arlington, Andrew Jackson, and Alexander.

In these zones, families must continue to apply for the magnet programs and be randomly selected from the lottery.

“Since this is an opportunity zone, we have more opportunities if we include the three A’s (Arlington, Andrew Jackson and Alexander) rather than just part of the Arlington zone,” said Superintendent Marlon King.

JMCSS would run a separate randomized lottery for students residing in the zone until 25% of the available seats are filled, if that many apply. When this cap is reached, the remaining students go through the usual lottery with priorities based on having a JMCSS employee move in together as a parent and sibling.

If you are part of the CMS and Madison zoning, students will not be automatically seated. A student’s name has yet to be chosen at random.

Although still random, zoned students have a greater chance – two options – of being selected.

The 25% also does not affect current students’ enrollment, and the zoning is not yet based on current students. The 25% will run a new lottery every school year to make sure every senior year has students from the neighborhood.

Community perception: While zoning makes Jackson’s Montessori school more accessible, perception continues to impact schools in the neighborhood

Decision to expand the proposed zone

The originally proposed zone, to be viewed as an economic opportunity zone, was intended to allow students who are economically disadvantaged to participate in the district’s magnet programs. It was determined using data on distressed areas from the 2010 census.

Originally it was parts of N. Highland Ave., Highway 45 Bypass, E. Forrest Ave., Arlington Ave. and downtown. Areas south of West Forrest Ave. and areas east of Summar Ave., which is the western boundary of the Zone with portions of the Arlington Elementary Zone

Since the agreement with Healthy Community, LLC, the property developer, states that it should be a neighborhood and not necessarily just for those in the area who are economically disadvantaged, King suggested expanding the zone to include the three elementary schools.

“We didn’t want to lock ourselves in and cut off a zone within a zone,” said King. “These three A schools – Arlington, Andrew Jackson, and Alexander – provide our community with opportunities, a great opportunity, and a diverse opportunity for our students to attend CMS.”

Because the expansion includes the Alexander, Arlington, and Andrew Jackson zones, these students have a greater chance of participating in Community Montessori and Madison.

Currently 138 (25%) of CMS students already live in the neighborhood zone, as their school is one of the three in zones. CMS has 61 students in Arlington, 40 Andrew Jackson and 37 students in Alexander Zones.

The CMS and Madison zones will overlap with the three primary schools and the 6-12 Jackson Central-Merry School, which are slated to reopen in the fall of 2016 as part of the public-private partnership after the Vision 2020 closure and renovation.

Because Magnet Schools are elective, students zoned for JCM, Alexander, Arlington, and Andrew Jackson can choose to attend their zone or apply for an increased chance of participating in the Magnet programs.

The zoning aspect will depend on the completion of the new Madison

Registration for open enrollment in Magnetic or Academic programs and schools for which a student is not zoned has been extended to May 28th due to the Board’s consideration of the CMS and Madison Zone.

However, the school board didn’t have to vote on the neighborhood that will become the CMS / Madison Opportunity Zone.

Madison’s completion of the building triggers the zoning aspect.

Construction: New Madison Academic is facing a “Month of Delays” for construction workers to catch up before the July 31st due date

Arrival by July 31: Crews working overtime to finish Madison, JCM in time for school in August

According to the terms of the contract, CMS must remain at its current location for 12 school years. It moved to the closed Tigrett Middle School under Vision 2020 in 2016 after being in Parkview and then Bemis.

The city requested the addition of the language because of the investments they would be making and to ensure that the school stays in the center of the district. The City of Jackson is funding the construction of Madison through its public-private partnership, although the county usually funds schools.

Continue reading:Conditions for CMS

Lasherica Thornton is the education reporter for The Jackson Sun. You can reach them at 731-343-9133 or by email at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @LashericaT