(Memphis) In a special meeting Tuesday night, the Shelby County School Board will vote to approve or shoot down a lawsuit settlement with three Shelby County Suburbs.
Arlington and Lakeland already have the green light, and the fate of Bartlett, Collierville, and Millington will be decided soon.
Collierville Mayor Stan Joyner has been waiting three and a half years for the settlement.
“Getting this kind of nagging thing out of the way will be good for us,” said Joyner.
His city’s attorneys have struck a deal with the Shelby County School Board’s attorneys to keep all schools within its city limits for its own district.
They will also have to pay $6 million over 12 years to cover SCS employee benefits.
Joyner says the deal is fair.
“Nobody wins in a compromise. It’s a process of give and take, and I think it’s a good agreement and one our board feels we can live with,” said Joyner.
Bartlett Mayor Keith McDonald agreed to a similar plan.
Bartlett must pay $7.3 million over 12 years.
“We certainly are paying more than I wish we had to pay, but we’re not paying as much as they would like for us to pay,” said McDonald.
Millington’s deal is the same, but it will pay $2.7 million.
If approved Tuesday, Germantown will be the only suburb to not reach a settlement as it sorts out which schools it will get to keep after SCS said it’s keeping Germantown Elementary, Middle and High schools.
If the school board approves the settlements, the Shelby County Commission will have to approve the plan next, as will the suburban school boards when they take office December 2.
