MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Northside Alumni Association hosted a Community Town Hall Forum Tuesday to discuss the reported closing of Northside High School.
SCS Board Chair Teresa Jones and Shelby County Commissioner Melvin Burgess took part.
The Shelby County School Board recently voted to begin the closure process for three SCS schools, including Northside High School. That closure process begins with community feedback. The board also recently voted to revoke three charters.
Ahead of Tuesday’s meeting, WREG spoke with North Memphis residents about the school, its impact on the community and its current low enrollment.
“I graduated from it,” said neighbor Larry Thomas.
Thomas moved back, near Northside, about nine years ago. He knows the neighborhood is not what it used to be.
“I see the residents moving out, and this neighborhood really needs the school, because that would bring back the neighborhood,” he said.
He believes keeping Northside High School open would draw people back to the many abandoned homes.
Low enrollment is why the district started the closure process.
A SCS budget presentation said, “Declining enrollment over the last ten years from 999 students to 265 students.” Fifty-nine of its current students are seniors.
Census data for the 38107 zip code shows that in 2000, there were 22,109 residents and then 17,698 in 2010.
“It comes down to partnering with vocational programs, so we can implement them into the school. So, we then can become a feeder school for the other schools to come there and get their vocational classes,” said Eric Dunn with the Northside Alumni Association.
Dunn believes that beefing up vocational programs could up enrollment.
There are others in the community who agree with the proposed closure for cost concerns.
One person tweeted WREG saying, “Nostalgia doesn’t pay teachers salary.”
Many in the neighborhood said Northside will not go down without a fight.
“We need the neighborhood. Bring it back. So, I’m hoping they can keep the school open,” Thomas said.
This is not the first time in recent years Northside has been considered for closure.