JACKSON, Mich — For students in Jackson, it was the first day of school. I caught up with new Superintendent of Jackson Public Schools Jeremy Patterson to ask about his priorities for the school year ahead.
WATCH THE VIDEO FOR COMMENTS FROM PATTERSON AND ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT KRISS GIANNETTI:
As the District welcomes students back to school, I talked with Superintendent Patterson about making sure they keep making it to class.
State data shows chronic absenteeism in the District is nearly 50%.
"Relationship-building from the first day of school is important at JPS, so that there's good two-way communication between home and school....We have programs in place to try to catch kids before they get in a space where they don't understand why they're here," says Patterson.
Patterson says another concern for the District is the budget. The state's spending on schools over the next year has not yet been decided.
Locally, Assistant Superintendent Kriss Giannetti tells me the District is gearing up for a $126 million bond measure on this November's ballot — about half for maintenance, and the rest for upgrades.
"In this area right here we will be constructing an Innovation Center, and the Innovation Center will really be geared towards training kids and students how to get a job," says Giannetti, pointing to the lot between Jackson High School and the JPS Administration.
We will follow up on the bond vote as we get closer to neighbors casting their ballots.
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