JACKSON TOWNSHIP, N.J. — Will Jackson Liberty High School retain its name and mascot when it merges with Jackson Memorial High School in September?
Will the new high school merger result in a new name? The Jackson Liberty Jaguars? The Jackson High School Lions? Jackson United? Those are just a few ideas students are residents are talking about, but the district said committees are being formed and meeting to discuss the upcoming merger.
The Jackson School District has launched a district-wide restructuring plan, initiating a series of student-centered events, committee meetings, and staffing actions aimed at unifying schools and supporting staff and students through the transition.
Following the plan’s approval earlier this year, several committees have begun working on merging efforts across the district. The district is emphasizing student and staff collaboration and announced that it will continue to provide updates to the community as efforts progress.
A major milestone took place March 7, when 600 students from both Jackson Memorial and Jackson Liberty high schools attended a joint assembly led by Mike Smith, a Stanford-certified life coach. The session encouraged students to explore their ability to shape the future narrative of their unified school community. The district called the assembly “a successful and empowering first step.”
Students also began participating in the High School Rebranding Committee, which is focused on decisions regarding the school’s future name, colors, and mascot. A survey will soon be sent out to collect student feedback, with the committee expected to reconvene later this month.
Committees form across school levels
Committees for merging Jackson’s middle and upper elementary schools are also underway. The Middle School Merging Committee, which includes staff and Parent-Teacher Network volunteers, held its first meeting on March 6 and discussed strategies to ease the transition for students in grades 7 and 8. Plans include interactive events before year’s end and ideas for building small communities within the new school.
The Upper Elementary Merging Committee will be formed once a principal is appointed. This group will focus on transitional programming for grades 5 and 6.
All head coaching and co-curricular advisor positions were posted on February 28.
District and school administrators began interviewing candidates the week of March 10, with coaches to be announced at the April Board of Education meeting.
Co-curricular advisors will be named in May, and some roles may be co-led in the 2025–2026 school year to ensure continuity during the high school merger.