SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS: Hampton: Experience matters on JMCSS Board

Janice Hampton is the most experienced member of the Jackson-Madison County School Board, having served on the board since first being elected in 2012.

Having been elected twice since then and going for her fourth win to represent District 6 on the Board, she said her motivations to serve haven’t changed.

“When I ran 12 years ago, the slogan was ‘A new voice and new vision for children,’” Hampton said. “And while my voice and vision may not be new anymore, I’m still a voice with a vision for the children.”

Hampton has four challengers for her seat, but she says her experience and the roles she’s filled during her time separate her from the rest.

She’s classified by the Tennessee School Board Association as a Level 5 Board member, a level achieved by few board members over the years.

“I’ve met all the requirements for TSBA as it relates to attending sessions, advocating for the community, writing policies, attending conventions and other roles I fill or have filled for the Board,” Hampton said. “The only three I’ve known who’ve achieved this status are [former Board members] Joe Mayes, Bob Alvey and Levi Steele.

“It takes a lot of time and work to get to that level, and a lot of the work it takes to get there, you don’t do unless you want to be the best Board member you can be, making informed decisions and being able to communicate your reasoning for your decisions to the community.”

Hampton says she wants to be re-elected because she wants to have a hand in directing the finances of the district as it’s coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“One thing I want to focus on is generating continuous revenue,” Hampton said. “It’s great to have grants, but if they’re only good for two or three years or less, then what happens after that?

“We don’t want to cut back? And we’re about to be out of ESSER dollars at the end of September, so we may be having conversations like that coming up in the next few months.”

In addition to her Level 5 status, Hampton also discussed the future of the district and how institutional knowledge can be helpful.

“You’ve got to know how the Board works, and it takes a year for a new person to really figure it out,” Hampton said. “If I’m re-elected, I obviously don’t need to relearn that sort of thing, and I can actually help mentor or teach any new Board members we have coming in.”

Hampton likes the direction the district is moving in under Superintendent Marlon King. She likes how he keeps his finger on the pulse of the leadership teams in each school and how he engages with them and with the Board when communicating upcoming changes or initiatives.

“We’re on an upward trend, and I’d like to continue to be a part of that,” Hampton said.

Brandon Shields, brandon@jacksonpost.news