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

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Lisa Ellis, right, gives Mary Coppola lunches for her children at Clinton Park Elementary Monday, March 23, 2020. Lunches were handed out to families after school were closed to do COVID-19. Credit: Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today, Report For America

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

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 was 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 was 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. As of press time, the district had not announced a decision regarding whether they would continue remote instruction on Wednesday.

“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.”

Stewart also said that to his knowledge, the district would remain virtual on Wednesday.

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

-- Article credit to Julia James of Mississippi Today --

https://www.pressregister.com/state-schools/jps-schools-go-virtual-due-water-crisis-still-offering-breakfast-and-lunch-630e83b458e7b

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