Public education in Jackson is provided by Jackson Public Schools, the largest school district in Mississippi. Jackson is notable for being the city where Parents for Public Schools was founded in 1989. The group began a national movement to make public schools truly integrated.
The following is a summary of data regarding Jackson public schools as of the 2003–2004 school year.
Total enrollment: 31,580
Number of facilities
elementary schools: 38
junior high/middle schools: 10
senior high schools: 8
other: 1 alternative learning center, 1 career development center, 1 academic advancement center, 1 academy of academics and performing arts
Student/teacher ratio: 15:1
Teacher salaries
average: $36,030
Funding per pupil: $7,429.73
Public facilities are supplemented by several private and parochial schools that serve the area.
Public Schools Information: Jackson Public Schools, PO Box 2338, Jackson, MS 39225-2338; telephone (601)960-8700
Jackson State University is a public institution that has a total of 7,785 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs. The University of Mississippi Medical Center has schools of medicine, dentistry, nursing, and health-related professions, and a graduate school of medical sciences. Hinds Community College, a two-year public institution enrolling 9,798 students, has a campus in Jackson. Belhaven College, affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, awards bachelor's, master's, and associate's degrees. Millsaps College, a private college affiliated with the United Methodist Church, awards bachelor's and master's degrees. Antonelli College is a private, two-year college based in Ohio with a campus in Jackson. Other Jackson-area colleges include Tougaloo College and the Mississippi College School of Law.
The Jackson-Hinds Library System supports 15 branches, 8 of which are located in the city of Jackson. Its collection numbers more than 535,000 books, videos, audio cassettes, compact discs, and multimedia kits, in addition to periodicals, microfiche, magazine and newspapers on microfilm, and CD-ROMs. The main library, the Eudora Welty Library, houses a special collection on Mississippi writers and serves as the Hinds County Bar Association's public law library.
Jackson State University maintains a large library holding 400,000 book titles, government documents, and a special Black Studies collection. The University's Center for Business Development and Economic Research conducts small business research. The Institute for Technology Development, a public/private interdisciplinary research corporation located at the Stennis Space Center, also contributes to the development of the area's business economy. The University of Mississippi Medical Center is a leader in innovative medical research.
Public Library Information: Jackson-Hinds Library System, c/o Eudora Welty Library, 300 N. State St., Jackson, MS 39201; telephone (601)968-5811; fax (601)968-5817; email cmccallum@jhlibrary.com