Jackson Free Press

Jackson Public Schools Board members voted to name former superintendent Jayne Sargent as the district's interim superintendent last night. The district also adopted a budget for the 2011-2010 fiscal year.

Current Jackson Public Schools superintendent Lonnie Edwards' contract expires July 1. School board members have not yet voted on whether or not to renew Edwards' contract. In December, the school board voted not to renew Edward's contract. School board members voted 5-2 last night with Otha Burton and Tim Collins voting in opposition. If the district chooses to renew Edward's contract in a second vote, he will resume his position.

The district will not layoff teachers or raise taxes, but will operate on a general maintenance budget of $205,409,919. The budget is the result of a shortfall in local ad valorem taxes. The district also received $5.8 million in one-time federal education job funds, which will not be available next fiscal year.

School board member Otha Burton, who faces a reconfirmation hearing at city hall June 30, criticized the district's process for authorizing the budget. School board members have met three times over the past two weeks to address the budget for the upcoming school year. The school board voted last night on each district's departmental budgets separately.

"I don't know if I will be here any longer, but if I am, I do not want to see this process evolve the way it did the past couple of years," Burton said. "We have several budgets to review, which is a lot. ... This board needs time to review each budget. This board needs time to be involved in each process of examination."