Three Jackson elementary schools to be demolished. See which ones

Three elementary schools have been approved to be demolished by the Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees, the district announced Monday.

JPS's Facilities Repurposing Advisory Committee recommended the demolition of the following schools:

• Baker Elementary, located at 300 E. Santa Clair Street.
• French Elementary, located at 311 Joel Avenue.
• Woodville Heights Elementary, located at 2930 McDowell Road Extension.

The school board approved the demolitions at their April 18 meeting. A date for when the demolition will take place has not been set, but school officials said they will be seeking community input once the buildings have been torn down.

JPS Superintendent Errick Greene said the committee determined demolition was the best course of action due to a lack of interest from potential buyers for redevelopment, mainly because of their location. Baker Elementary and Woodville Heights Elementary are both located in South Jackson; French Elementary is located in West Jackson.

"We determined that the economic value and condition of those properties were not strong after a Request for Interest was issued. We can no longer afford the carrying costs for maintaining the upkeep of the buildings, which have become victims of vandalism," Greene said in a Monday press release.

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The Facilities Repurposing Advisory Committee was created in January, holding their first meeting on Jan. 30. The creation of the committee came after the school board's Dec. 19 meeting, in which they gave the go-ahead to close 11 schools, with two being merged. The three elementary schools set to be demolished had previously been closed by the district.

The main reasons for the closures or consolidations are declining enrollment, expensive investments in the school's facilities and issues with staffing teachers, according to school officials.

The committee is responsible for helping the district figure out how the closed schools can be reutilized for future use in the community.

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This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Three Jackson elementary schools to be demolished. See which ones