JMCSS announces plans for students attending JCM

JACKSON, TN (WNBJ) - School bells will not be ringing at the new Jackson Central-Merry School on August 2nd when students return for the fall semester.

JCM has been experiencing renovations delays since April.

One of the principals at the school discusses the setback.

“The excitement around opening the school, hoping to be able to open those doors Wednesday with our teachers, but based on manufacturing delays that is not the case. However, we are not going to be sad about that because we know that it will come,” said Kerriann Breeden, the principal at JCM Middle School.

School administrators have prepared a plan to still start the school year but in a slightly different way.

“We had to have an alternative plan and options to be able to start on August 2nd so the team got together decided to have a ‘school within a school model. The ‘school within a school model’ is that JCM will still be JCM, but we will be housed in another location,” said Ramonica Dorsey, the principal at JCM High School.

The principal at JCM high school goes on to say the majority of students who are enrolled are coming from Northpark Way Middle School and Liberty High School so housing the students at a location in close proximity to JCM campus was ideal.

“so, we decided to come up with a different plan, alternative plan and that will be using the omen arena and also using a section of madison and early college high and then our students will report to the omen arena every morning. The buses will drop them off and car riders will report. We will have a community slash morning meeting,” said Dorsey.

Dorsey says at the morning meeting students will be fed breakfast and given encouraging words for the school year.

The middle school principal remains optimistic for the school year.

After all, just did go through a school year, where we opened school three to four different times, in multiple ways. So not only are our teachers resilient, but our students are resilient, our parents are resilient and once we are able to be there it will just make it that much sweeter to be in our cougar home,” said Breedman.

JCM is scheduled to open and house students in September.