Central High School (Jackson, Mississippi)

Central High School was a public high school in Jackson, Mississippi, United States. It was established in 1888 and was part of the Jackson Public School District. Its building currently serves as the headquarters of the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE).[1]

Central High School
Former school building, now the Mississippi Department of Education headquarters
Address
359 North West Street

Jackson
,
Mississippi
39201

United States
Coordinates32.3022°N 90.1848°W / 32.3022; -90.1848
Information
TypePublic high school
Established1888 (1888)
School districtJackson Public School District
Grades9–12

History

Central High School was established in 1888.[2] It was an all-white school until the late 1960s.[3] Donna Ladd, in an article in the Jackson Free Press, described it as one of several "jewels in the crown of white Jackson back before forced integration—in a time when white conservatives abundantly funded public schools and extracurricular activities with tax money for their own."[4] Circa 1969 the first African-American students attended the school.[3] Jackson schools integrated by law as per Derek Jerome Singleton vs. the Jackson Public School District, decided in 1969.[5]

In August 2015, smoke from a fire in a nearby hotel, as well as water resulting from the incident, damaged the Central High building, so the Mississippi Department of Education temporarily moved its headquarters to the South Pointe Business Park in Clinton. The headquarters was scheduled to move back on July 25, 2016.[1]

Notable alumni

References
  1. "MDE Offices to Move Back to Central High School Building". Mississippi Department of Education. July 19, 2016. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  2. Fowler, Sarah (May 1, 2015). "Central High School Class of '65 celebrates reunion". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  3. Dreher, Arielle (November 15, 2017). "How Integration Failed in Jackson's Public Schools from 1969 to 2017". Jackson Free Press. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  4. Ladd, Donna (September 27, 2017). "Yep, JPS Takeover Is a Conspiracy. Prove Me Wrong". Jackson Free Press. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  5. Taylor, Ayana (May 12, 2004). "JPS, Then and Now". Jackson Free Press. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
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