The document discusses a meeting about the future of public education in Shelby County, Tennessee. It outlines how Shelby County and Memphis City Schools currently have separate governance structures and funding sources. Options presented include converting Shelby County Schools to a special school district or dissolving the Memphis City Schools charter which could merge the districts or maintain the status quo depending on the outcome of a citywide referendum.

1. Community Information
Meeting: The Future of Public
Education in Shelby County
January 19, 2011
Daniel Kiel
The University of Memphis
School of Law

2. Shelby County Comparison:
Government vs. Schools
Shelby County
Shelby County Schools
Government
 Serves ENTIRETY of  Serves only the portion of
Shelby County (including Shelby County outside of
Memphians and non‐ the Memphis city limits
Memphians)

4. Individual 1: The Memphian
Votes for Member of
PATH OF PROPERTY TAXES
Memphis City School
Board
City of Memphis Taxpayer
Children Assigned to
Attend Memphis City
City of Memphis Shelby County Schools
Government Government

5. Individual 2: The Non‐Memphian
PATH OF PROPERTY TAXES
Votes for Members of
Taxpayer Outside Memphis Shelby County School
Board
Shelby County
Children Assigned to
Government Attend Shelby County
Schools

6. Funding Sources
Source
(103,593 students) (47,342 students)
State of Tennessee $428M $174M
(49.5%) (50.7%)
Shelby County Property Taxes $255M $115M
(paid by all county residents –
Memphian and non‐Memphian) (29.5%) (33.5%)
Shelby County Sales Taxes $89M $43M
(10.3%) (12.6%)
City of Memphis Property Taxes $84M N/A
(paid only by Memphians)
(9.8%)
Other $8M $10M
(1.0%) (3.0%)

7. Why Change the Status Quo?:
Interests of the Two Districts
 Continued Local  Sustainability in
Control Funding

8. Strategy: SCS Conversion to
Special School District
Currently: SCS is a “County” District
Changes if SCS Converted to Special School District
oFrozen Boundaries
oIndependent Taxing Authority
oVeto Power Over Merger with Other School Systems
To Create a Special School District:
oLift Statewide Ban
oLegislative Creation of New Special School District

9. Why Change the Status Quo?:
Interests of the Two Districts
 Continued Local  Sustainability in
Control Funding

10. Strategy: Surrender of
MCS Charter
Motivating Force: Funding Uncertainties
oCity Contribution
oCounty Contribution if SCS becomes Special School
District
Meaning and Effect of Charter Surrender
To Dissolve Memphis City Schools Charter:
oSchool Board Surrender of Charter
oCitywide Referendum

11. Step One: MCS Board Votes to
Surrender Charter (Dec. 20, 2010)
Next Step: Citywide Referendum

12. What If…..the referendum succeeds?
Impact on Funding:
 Single-Source Local Funding – Shelby County Gov’t
Impact on Governance: Merged District
 Short-Term Uncertainty
 Long-Term = Reconstituted County-wide Board
Impact on Students:
 Transition Period to Hammer Out Details (for
example, uniforms, staffing, textbooks, etc.)
 New Board to Make Long-Term Decisions on student
assignment, academic programs

13. What If…..the referendum
does not succeed?
Maintenance of Status Quo in funding and governance
Shelby County Schools free to continue pursuit of Special
School District status in state legislature
Memphis City Schools free to consider other agreements
to ensure sustainable funding

14. Current Sub‐Issues
Continued Negotiation Between the Districts
oMCS Rejection of SCS Proposed Agreement
Legislation that Could Change Current Landscape
oState Legislature
oMemphis City Council