(Memphis) The future of Germantown Elementary, Middle, and High schools is still unknown for next school year.
The SCS board says it isn’t giving the schools up and that could prevent Germantown from having district all together.
Thanks to a deal between Arlington, Lakeland and the Shelby County Schools board, the two cities will get to keep the deeds to all schools within their city limit.
The two will have to pay around $5 million to make this happen, but Germantown may never get that choice.
SCS voted to keep three schools since most of the students actually live in unincorporated parts of the county leaving Germantown just a handful of schools, including Houston High.
WREG’s Political Commentator Otis Sanford says Germantown could face an uphill battle without those schools and students.
“Really you don’t have enough students to make a viable school district work, plus you have a serious problem with racial diversity,” said Sanford.
If that’s the case that federal lawsuit over equal protection could come back to get Germantown while the other suburbs slip by.
“I guess we’re next up to bat and we’re looking forward to that negotiation,” said Bartlett Mayor Keith McDonald.
Though Tuesday night’s agreement probably won’t be the framework for a Germantown deal, Bartlett’s mayor says he expects a similar settlement for his city as early as next Tuesday.
“Obviously being a larger school system the numbers will be different, but the basis for the agreement will be very similar if not the same,” said McDonald.
Under that settlement the municipalities will probably have an open enrollment for children who go there now but live in the county to sign up and provide their own transportation.
Collierville’s mayor Stan Joyner tells News Channel 3 he doesn’t want to talk about negotiations until they come to an agreement, but Collierville could be impacted by Germantown.
If the county does in fact keep Germantown Elementary, Middle and High students who go there and live in Germantown city limits could be sent to Houston High forcing out hundreds of Collierville students who currently go there.
Collierville with then have to figure out what to do with those students.
Germantown’s Mayor Sharon Goldsworthy was not at last night’s school board meeting, and she hasn’t returned News Channel 3’s call for comment by this story’s deadline.
