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Memphis school leaders are planning to expand student bus services to combat attendance drops caused by the recent surge of law and immigration enforcement in the city.
Memphis-Shelby County Schools board members voted unanimously during a meeting Tuesday to approve the resolution, which says the deployment of the Tennessee National Guard and Immigration and Customs Enforcement this month has “created a climate of heightened fear and anxiety for many students and their families leading to significant increases in absences from school.”
“This is not just about expanding a bus route; this is about protecting lives and families,” said board member Michelle McKissack.
There haven’t been any reports of ICE activity on Memphis school campuses. But MSCS educators told Chalkbeat Tennessee that parents and students are afraid of being detained by ICE while traveling to and from school buildings. That’s caused Hispanic students in particular to miss class in recent weeks or withdraw from school.
The resolution hopes to curb those attendance effects by expanding bus eligibility to students living less than two miles away from their school building. Previous district policy designated those areas as a “parent responsibility zone” for transportation.
Superintendent Roderick Richmond is tasked with developing an emergency plan and budget for increased bus service in the next 30 days. It’s unclear how much the expanded program will cost or how many additional buses will be needed.
During public comment, dozens of Memphis educators and community organizers pushed the district to adopt the protective measure for students and families. Lucero Amador, an MSCS kindergarten teacher, said she sees patrol cars parked along the street when she leaves work each day.
“A couple of families have withdrawn their students and claimed they’re going back to their home countries,” she said. “The students that do attend are living in fear.”
The resolution says Richmond will also lead a study on the long-term feasibility of expanded bus routes, including cost and legal parameters.
Bri Hatch covers Memphis-Shelby County Schools for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Reach Bri at bhatch@chalkbeat.org.
