and safe neighborhoods, Jacksonville has a lot of small-town charm to it,” describes Mayor Johnny L. Smith. “But we’re close enough to Birmingham and Atlanta that our folks can take part in the larger activities when they want to.” EDUCATION: THE HEARTBEAT OF THE COMMUNITY Another part of Jacksonville’s appeal is its strong educational system. The mayor boasts, “I often have people tell me they moved to Jacksonville because of our school system. Our Jacksonville City Schools do a great job for us.And being home to Jacksonville State University provides our folks with not just good educational opportunities, but a lot of cultural and athletic activities, as well. JSU, as the largest employer in the area, offers a wide range of programs and serves as a hub for the community. “Jacksonville State surely doesn’t exist without the city, nor would the city be what it is today without the university,” portrays JSU President, Don Killingsworth. “The collaboration and partnership that I’ve been able to experience in my four and a half years as President, has been the best that it’s been in decades. We rely on each other. It’s not only the public safety components that are necessary. It’s our students, faculty, and staff driving retail business.” The university itself is experiencing major growth, marked by record-breaking enrollment. “We’re just around 10,000 students and I anticipate we will be higher than that next year to break another record,” reports Killingsworth. In addition, JSU’s athletics continue to shine, bringing further recognition to the university and the city. “We’ve seen this university grow, as well as the city and the school system, in partnership with each other,” he adds. “We rely heavily on our partners not only in Jacksonville but the surrounding 15 counties. We have a large footprint, but we cannot do it without our existing partners right here in our backyard.” Recently,the universityhas invested over $300million in infrastructure improvements, with three new buildings set to open soon, including a dining facility, a freshman residence hall, and a football complex. The upcoming Randy Owen Center for Performing Arts will see an investment of $100 million, bringing 217 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 07 JACKSONVI LLE, AL
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