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City Schools Officials Urge Patience -- Teachers, Parents Decry Plans for Closings

Posted on: Wednesday, 1 March 2006, 12:01 CST

By Halimah Abdullah abdullah@commercialappealcom

It's a delicate balancing act.

As Memphis City Schools combs through a proposed five-year master plan for the district, board members and staffers must carefully weigh parent and teacher concerns against looming deadlines. So even though teachers and parents decried proposed school closings at Monday night's board meeting, district staffers urged patience.

"Clearly we're well aware that there are concerns among various constituent groups - from students through open enrollment to staff and placement," said Suzanne Kelly, the district's chief of staff. "We want to give folks the best information possible so they can plan their futures."

Over the next five years, the future of city schools may rest with a $229 million master plan for the district that proposes closing eight schools citywide, building five new schools, redrawing attendance boundaries, changing the grade structure in many schools and drastically cutting bus routes. The district held a series of meetings over the past two weeks to gauge community support and concern.

The Memphis school board could vote on the proposal as early as this spring.

But that vote has a deadline: before April 15th.

That's when the district must present a preliminary budget to city and county governments. However, before they can do so, schools staffers have to consider how every element of the plan affects both students and the bottom line.

For example, closing a school might result in cost savings, but students might have problems traveling to the new school.

Absent a definitive vote on the proposal, parents are unsure whether to enroll their children in the district's optional school program or take a chance that their neighborhood school might remain open.

"A proposal is just that... a proposal," said Anabell Turner, president of the Memphis Council of PTAs. "But as a parent I need to know if you're going to close my community school."

Some teachers worry whether they should apply for positions at other schools or take a chance that the school where they teach will open in the fall.

"We're asking that the board make a decision," said Charles New, president of the Memphis Education Association. "Don't have them hanging out there until May or June."

District officials will spend the rest of the week looking at data and information from the townhall meetings.

They hope to present a timeline later this week.

- Halimah Abdullah: 529-5806

Source: Commercial Appeal, The

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