Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent says enrollment is up but still below district projections

Dr. Marie Feagins speaking to district staff (Photo by Memphis-Shelby County Schools)

Enrollment in Memphis-Shelby County Schools has continued to grow year over year despite remaining behind original projections for this school year, according to an update from Superintendent Dr. Marie Feagins.

At Tuesday’s school board meeting, Feagins told board members that nearly 110,000 students were enrolled in the district as of this week, representing an increase of 1,446 from last year. Those numbers included students in both traditional public schools and charter schools and come shortly after the district welcomed nearly 1,000 new students from three schools previously run by the University of Memphis, among other major changes in the district.

“We are thrilled about our increase in the number of students enrolled this year. We were [however] projecting 111,983 students,” she said, adding that about 2,700 students were not showing up in the first days of the current school year.

Feagins noted that the district is gradually improving its attendance rates, amid ongoing efforts to combat truancy in the district. Feagins highlighted the district’s “Hey Neighbor” outreach campaign to provide supports for students who have not shown up to school for one reason or another. She said the campaign was an “incredibly successful endeavor.”

“Thank you to everyone who went out and knocked on doors Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of last week, and who rounded out the week on Saturday. We knocked on more than 600 doors, in our areas where we had the most ‘no-shows’ and students who have just not shown up to school, who have not enrolled,” she said, noting difficulties in locating houseless students among others.

In other business, Feagins gave an update on instructional vacancies, adding that there were 38 vacancies in math and 56 vacancies among elementary instructors as of Monday. She said the district currently has the most vacancies in special education, with 84 vacancies.

“That’s just down six. We were at 90,” she said, adding that the district will continue ongoing work to fill 200-300 projected vacancies in total.