This story was originally published by Chalkbeat.
By Bri Hatch
Five Memphis-Shelby County schools will close at the end of this school year, forcing more than 1,200 students to attend new schools starting in August.
Memphis board members unanimously voted Tuesday to shut down Georgian Hills Elementary, Lucy Elementary, and Chickasaw Middle without discussion. Frayser-Corning Elementary and Ida B. Wells Academy will close by a split vote of 7-2 and 5-3 respectively.
Michelle McKissack, whose district includes Ida B. Wells, abstained from voting. Several board members recognized that the alternative school was the only recommended closure that received significant pushback, including during the Tuesday meeting.
“Your passion, we all heard it,” McKissack said to school advocates. “Not a single board member up here wants to do this, but we are charged with making difficult decisions and being fiscally responsible.”
This is the first round of recommended closures in the district’s plan to close up to 15 schools by 2028 because of chronic underenrollment and increasing building maintenance costs. Those are growing problems throughout the district, with enrollment dropping quicker than the state average and building upkeep costs estimated to total around $1.6 billion over the next decade.
Chickasaw Middle, for example, would need $3.4 million invested in building repairs or upgrades in the next two years, including replacements of the HVAC and plumbing systems. Frayser-Corning Elementary would need $2.6 million for improvements such as a new electrical system.
Superintendent Roderick Richmond, who was recently promoted from his interim role, recommended the first four schools for closure last September. Lucy Elementary will be taken over by Millington Municipal Schools, a suburban district, as part of a state mandated transfer agreement.
In a series of community hearings held throughout the winter, parents fought back against closure recommendations. Some questioned why a high-performing school would be shuttered. Others raised safety concerns about proposals to merge schools with different grade levels to absorb displaced students.
It’s unclear what will happen to affected teachers and school staff. District leaders have said they plan to keep as many employees in MSCS as possible. That was a point of contention during the vote on Frayser-Corning Elementary school.
“We have to figure out where our teachers are going to go before we close a school,” said board member Towanna Murphy, who voted against closing both Frayser-Corning and Ida B. Wells.
Board member Stephanie Love, whose district includes the Frayser elementary school, also voted against its closure Tuesday. Love and vice chair Joyce Dorse-Coleman joined Murphy in opposing Ida B. Wells’ closure.
During Tuesday’s meeting, a number of parents and alumni from Ida B. Wells made a last-ditch effort to convince board members to keep their school open. The speakers questioned why the school, which is exceeding state expectations for improving student test scores, is being closed.
Deja Bowen attended Ida B. Wells from fourth through eighth grade and graduated high school in 2019. She now attends University of Memphis and is planning to join the Air Force as a nurse.
“I never thought that I’d go to college,” Bowen said. “Like more than half of the students who completed (Ida B. Wells) with me, we all were in unusual circumstances. And without the teachers, who are more than likely the only constants in our lives, I don’t know where I would be.”
Several rows of audience members wearing the school colors of blue and yellow stood in support of Ida B. Wells during public comment.
Bri Hatch covers Memphis-Shelby County Schools for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Reach Bri at bhatch@chalkbeat.org.
