MEMPHIS, Tenn. — After the Shelby County School Board decided to wait on voting whether to close Carver, supporters of the school hope a community plan can keep the school’s doors open.
Last month, school board members voted in favor of beginning the closure process for Carver and other schools. The district cited low enrollment, amid districtwide budget issues.
Monday night, the board opted to hold off on voting whether to close Carver, so board members and the superintendent could review and respond to a community plan to keep the school.
“It seemed like it may be like the last pillar of the neighborhood,” said Darrious Dennis. His mother and other family members attended Carver. His cousin is about to graduate from there. He went to South Side High, a neighborhood school forced to close years ago.
“We’re going to have to create a plan that supports how that school will be vital and support kids and academic growth, because the numbers are startling. Carver’s in the bottom 1 percent,” said SCS Board Member Shante Avant, whose district covers Carver.
Pastor Ralph White of Bloomfield Full Gospel Baptist Church is leading the push. He said the community plan suggests returning school boundaries to how they were before South Side closed.
“Which took out, I would say, several hundred children who would’ve attended Carver, that they now have those young people attend Hamilton High School,” White explained.
He also wants to add optional programs at the school, which is an approach Northside High School hopes to take. The board voted to close Northside in 2017.
Both schools believe adding technical classes to lure students will bring enrollment numbers up.
“Even though we would love for all of our children to attend college, we understand all children are not college-bound,” White said.
Beyond that, White wants to bring confidence back to Carver. He admits it is hard for parents to send kids to a school when they are not sure how long it will be open. He said the community has had to fight to keep Carver open before.
“Carver is a very important place to the neighborhood,” Dennis said.
The district said the board has not yet set a date for the Carver vote.