News in Brief
Tenn. Governor Signs Bill to Delay Memphis Merger
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam signed legislation this month to delay an attempt by the Memphis city school system to relinquish its charter and turn over control of the district to Shelby County.
Supporters of the merger say consolidation with the surrounding county would preserve the city schools’ funding in the event the county decides to seek special school district status, a move that would effectively prevent the city from expanding its tax base farther into the county. County officials fear a merger would overstretch their resources.
The Memphis school board agreed in December to let city voters decide in a March 8 special election whether their system—plagued by funding problems and low scores on mandatory tests—should relenquish its charter. The City Council voted unanimously to accept the decision, and early voting started in the city last week.
The new state law, however, requires a formal transition plan that would delay a merger for three years.
Vol. 30, Issue 21, Page 4
Access selected articles, e-newsletters and more!
Viewed
Emailed
Recommended
Commented
Sponsored Whitepapers
• Best Practices in Information Management, Reporting and Analytics for Education
- Instructional Leadership Director
- ALBANY CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT, Albany, NY
- Principal - Chicago Metro Area West
- The Menta Group, Hillside, IL
- Chief Innovation Officer
- The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE®), Washington, DC
- Train Brilliant Math Students
- Art of Problem Solving, San Diego, CA
- Chief Financial Officer
- Hernando County School Board, Brooksville, FL



We encourage lively debate, but please be respectful of others. Profanity and personal attacks are prohibited. By commenting, you are agreeing to abide by our user agreement.
All comments are public.