After School Board Commissioner Tomeka Hart put him on the spot last week, MCS Superintendent Kriner Cash agreed to release the list of schools he would recommend for closure today - in advance of Thursday's meeting on the TPC's Recommendation #113 to close at least 20 schools.
Dr. Cash is recommending that six schools be closed, five elementary and one middle: Coro Lake, White's Chapel, Orleans, Norris and Gordon elementary schools, and Humes Middle School.
The first thing that immediately raises a red flag for me is that the list includes Gordon Elementary, a school operating at over 90% capacity. The TPC's recommendations were based on under-enrollment, but Dr. Cash must be using a different threshold. Odd.
There is already some confusion between some state legislators and the mayor's office - with the state legislators claiming that Dr. Cash has assembled the list on his own without input from Memphis officials, and a summary of Housing and Community Development Director Robert Lipscomb's direct involvement with Dr. Cash on this issue. Strange.
This is an important issue that will have objections from all corners - it's important that those objecting keep their credibility and get on the same page, at least where the facts are concerned.
Commercial Appeal reporter Michael Kelley did a good job getting this story up quickly.
Anybody who is interested in attending the Thursday meeting on this issue should double check the time - the plan had been to begin the meeting earlier than usual, but the article lists the start time as the usual start time (5:30 p.m.).
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