MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) - A hearing is underway that will determine the fate of municipal districts in Shelby County.
Although voters in suburban towns like Bartlett and Collierville overwhelmingly supported municipal schools in the August election, they won't have the last word.
Kevin Huffman, a Commissioner from Tennessee’s Department of Education, was the first to testify when the hearing began Tuesday, September 4. Memphis City Council attorney Allan Wade peppered him with questions on the legitimacy of forming municipal school districts.
Huffman testified that none of the minimum standards have been met to do so.
The Dept of Education has not received the composition of students from the suburbs, nor any plans for facilities. In fact none of the suburbs have school boards in place or superintendents for the districts they wish to form.
Wade also brought up the point that it’s illegal to have more than six school districts in Shelby County at one time. If the suburbs formed their districts before Shelby County and Memphis City Schools merge, it would make eight.
