Friday, July 3, 2026
JACKSON, TN —The numbers are in, and Jackson-Madison County students have once again demonstrated their commitment to reading. Ingrid Rendon, a rising senior at JCM‑Early College High, was awarded a $500 shopping spree with Superintendent Dr. Marlon King at Walmart on July 2 after being named the top reader in the district’s Leap Up for Literacy campaign.
Students from every school in the district participated in the nationally recognized initiative, now in its fourth year. Throughout the 2025–2026 school year, students, teachers, and families worked together to track minutes read. Schools celebrated progress quarterly with field trips, certificates, and other incentives. As a district, JMCSS students logged 4,017,000 minutes of reading. Individually, Ingrid recorded an extraordinary 60,410 minutes.
These achievements reflect the districtwide goal of encouraging students to read at least 20 minutes every day. Since 2023, community partners — including mayors, local doctors, first responders, beauty queens, and college presidents — have joined families and schools in promoting literacy and modeling a love for reading.
Ingrid says her passion for books grew from seeing stories come alive in multiple formats.
“Seeing movies that were adapted from books, you get interested in both of them, so you just read the book. That’s one way my love for books came about,” she said. “Also, the capability to escape to another universe. When you read it, you’re the character in the book.”
She encourages other students to dream big.
“I want to thank God for giving me the wisdom, time, and strength to read, and my parents and siblings for always being there for me.”
Regional Associate Superintendent Dr. Tiffany Spight says the initiative is helping students rediscover the joy of reading.
“With the competition from cellphones and other technology, we’ve found that kids get away from putting a book in their hands, so we wanted to motivate our students to be readers again,” Spight said.
“We continue to see an upward trend in English Language Arts, but the biggest benefit is the conversations students are having with their teachers. Their knowledge and understanding of words are increasing. Sometimes it’s not always about tracking assessment scores — it’s those day‑to‑day conversations that show our kids are loving reading again.”
The Leap Up for Literacy campaign is one of several scholastic-based activities in the Jackson-Madison County School System that incentivize academic achievement.
“Literacy opens every door for our students, and campaigns like this help them build habits that last a lifetime,” said Superintendent Dr. Marlon King.
JMCSS won a Golden Achievement Award during the National School Public Relations Association competition for the Leap Up for Literacy campaign.
Above photo: Students across the district received rewards throughout the 2025-2026 school year to incentivize scholastic achievement. Leap Up for Literacy participants were rewarded with field trips to Discovery Park of America, Incredible Pizza, Main Event, and more