Interim Superintendent Toni Williams says closing Memphis schools isn’t the goal of facility reuse plan

Interim Superintendent Tutonial “Toni” Williams told members of the Memphis-Shelby School Board that closing buildings is not the goal of the academic facilities reuse plan now under consideration by the district’s new Facilities Steering Committee.That committee held its first meeting last week to discuss multiple scenarios to fund $500 million in school upgrades and address the district’s deferred maintenance costs. One idea under consideration would be to designate 23 facilities for reuse.This plan could mean closing some of those buildings but at Tuesday’s school board work session, Williams told board members that isn’t the intention.“Community schools are not just buildings. We should be focused on investing in students. Strategically, identify renovation, reuse, and mixed-use opportunities for buildings, transitioning from being siloed and reactionary to being proactive, collaborative, and responsive,” said Williams. “This work is not about closing buildings. This work is about investing in our students, our spaces within our communities, and let me be clear the plan has not been finalized.”The average age of school buildings in Memphis-Shelby County Schools is 64 years old. That’s 24 years older than the recommended life span of school buildings nationwide and Williams has recently made the case that facilities inequalities are hurting student performance.The steering committee is made up of local educators, business leaders, and elected officials in Shelby County.  Members will present a final plan to address the district’s facility challenges to the school board.“The goal is to create a comprehensive plan and develop state-of-the-art facilities for students while addressing deferred maintenance,” said Williams.

TISA Accountability

Board members also discussed goals for spending new funds provided by the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA).Starting this school year, each school district is required to submit an annual accountability report to the state detailing how it intends to use these funds. The report must include goals for student achievement, an explanation on how the district’s goals can be met, and starting in the 2024/2025 school year, a description of how the district’s budget and spending during the previous school year allowed them to progress toward the stated student achievement goals.The district intends to use this funding to improve student achievement and testing outcomes:

• 52 % of students will score proficient on the 3rdgrade ELA TCAP by 2030 year.
• 51% of students in grades 3-12 will score proficient on the ELA TCAP by 2030.
• 47% of students in grades 3-12 will score proficient on the Math TCAP by 2030.
• 52% of students in grades 3-12 will score proficient on the Science TCAP by 2030.
• 51% of students in grades 3-12 will score proficient on the Social Studies TCAP by 2030.

The district plans to reach these goals through a number of ways including engaging third-grade teachers in monthly professional learning, new training for tutors to help students performing below grade level, and support for new teachers to implement the English language arts curriculum.