The Jackson Public School District will be conducting school virtually on Jan. 5-6 due to little or no water pressure at 33 schools. 

City of Jackson officials said Wednesday they’re still working to put more pressure into the city’s drinking water system before being able to lift the boil water notice. Most of the city has been under a boil water notice for the past 10 days, since Christmas morning, after below-freezing temperatures once again wrecked the city’s distribution system.

JPS officials said computer devices will be available for pickup on Jan. 4 from 3-6 p.m. at each school. Breakfast and lunch will be available for pickup on Jan. 5-6 at each school from 7-9 a.m. The announcement comes as students prepare to return from their winter break.

“The loss of water pressure in our school communities has had an enormous impact on us all,” the press release said.

JPS serves more than 18,000 students in the capital city, and chronic issues with water pressure have frequently forced schools to pivot to virtual learning. In September 2022, the district went virtual for a week during the water crisis which left residents without clean water or reliable water pressure for an extended period of time. District officials previously told Mississippi Today each student receiving a device through the federal COVID relief funds has also been beneficial for responding to water pressure issues, allowing them to pivot to virtual instruction more easily. 

The press release said the district will continue to monitor updates from the City of Jackson and provide daily updates to families regarding when schools will reopen. 

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Julia, a Louisiana native, covers K-12 education. She previously served as an investigative intern with Mississippi Today helping cover the welfare scandal. She is a 2021 graduate of the University of Mississippi, where she studied journalism and public policy and was a member of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College. She has also been published in The New York Times and the Clarion-Ledger.