Framework Being Set For Unified Schools

(Memphis) The Transition Planning Commission is made up of six different committees and those committees have submitted more than 170 recommendations for the board to vote on.

Those items the board approves will be included in that framework of the schools.

The Transition Planning Commission has been working since last September to plan exactly what the unified Shelby county school system.

Today, the board nailed down some of those details.

So far, the board has approved increasing AP course for students along with dual enrollment opportunities.

They have also approved six smaller school districts under the big umbrella of unified schools.

Commission member Kenya Bradshaw says this is exactly what municipal citizens have asked for and based their reasoning for independent suburban districts, “We’re wanting to make sure we have smaller regionalized districts that serve our entire county to provide what all of our municipalities have been asking for and that’s autonomy.”

But Bradshaw says the board also has to address the loss of population, and so far the recommendation is to close 21 schools and cut 9-10% of the school system’s staff.

Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell is on the planning commission and says cutting staff will be a tough decision, “When you talk about merging two into one you look for efficiencies you look for duplication and that’s what we’re challenged to do, and do the most we can to make decisions that are well reasoned.”

Once they’re finished, the Commission will begin presenting the unified plan to citizens and the state board toward the end of the month and take their feedback to the table for some fine tuning of that unified plan.