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Memphis schools’ facilities committee wants a $750 million bond from the Shelby County government to help fund long-term building repairs and closures.
It’s one of many proposals that the group will be presenting to the Memphis-Shelby County school board for approval next week. But there’s a long way to go before those recommendations are put into action.
“This is preliminary, and this is ongoing,” committee co-chair Natalie McKinney said in a meeting Monday.
MSCS leaders are expected to present initial plans on Dec. 16 for what could be a decade-long process of school closures and renovations. This comes after an independent study found this spring that Memphis schools need over $1.6 billion in maintenance repairs over the next 10 years.
Superintendent Roderick Richmond is proposing to close four schools by the end of the academic year and transfer ownership of a fifth to a nearby suburban district. The school board will vote on approving those closures and the district’s comprehensive facilities plan in February.
During Monday’s meeting, facilities committee members also recommended creating a public accountability board to oversee the 10-year facilities project. That would include managing hundreds of millions of dollars in county and state investments along with a significant private capital campaign.
Tito Langston, MSCS’ chief financial officer, said the $750 million bond ask is a “great starting point.” That amount represents the annual maximum Shelby County commissioners allocate for capital projects, which is $75 million spread over 10 years.
Langston said he hopes to also raise around $600 million in private donations.
Committee members also advanced recommendations for a family engagement plan, including community liaisons and 14 neighborhood meetings across the county. That campaign would cost the district around $185,000.
The district has not announced dates for the 10 community hearings about this year’s school closures, which MSCS leaders originally said would happen before the end of the calendar year.
Richmond recommended closing Frayser-Corning and Georgian Hills elementary schools, Chickasaw Middle School, and Ida B. Wells Academy in June. Lucy Elementary is slated to be transferred to Millington Municipal School District for the 2026-2027 school year.
Bri Hatch covers Memphis-Shelby County Schools for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Reach Bri at bhatch@chalkbeat.org.
