FAST FACTS:
"Mayor A C Wharton said he would send us a letter today giving the system three million dollars," Cash said. "As of five o'clock, the end of the business day, we had not received any letter." It was just another indication of a city that wasn't willing to pay their legally obligated share of money to a school system, according to the superintendent, and he was tired of it.
Superintendent Cash produced records that went back four years.
Of a total of three hundred nineteen million dollars budgeted by the Memphis City Council to schools, the schools only received a little more than fifty two percent of that money. "I know, I know, times are tough," he said. "But we're the ones that are making the cuts. " Superintendent Cash said over the last four fiscal years, the system has had to eliminate more than fourteen hundred jobs. "We have had to cut close to two hundred million dollars from our budget," he said.
The problem is, according to Cash and others, is the legal battle over school consolidation.
Everybody waits for a ruling from U.S.District Court Judge Samuel Hardy Mays on whether the city charter rules are in force, or state law. The charter, approved in 1961, says if the school board votes to give up its charter and Memphis City Council votes to do the same, then the city school system is out of business. State law says there should be at least at least two years of working out a smooth consolidation plan, and in the meantime, the city school system would remain in operation.
City Council members have said that if the city schools no longer legally exist, then they shouldn't be held accountable for funding the system.
The Cash presentation hit school board members like a sledgehammer in the stomach. Reverend Kenneth Whalum, Jr, a school board member who is known to rarely get support from fellow members, said he doubted the city would ever pay the money owed. "They're not going to pay us that money man," Whalum said. So he said that the August 8th opening of schools should be delayed. "It's going to be hot on August 8th," Whalum said. "If we delay opening schools, and those kids remain home with their parents, how long do you think it will take before we see some of that money?"
The Whalum idea sounded good to many of the board members. "I think it would be irresponsible to open schools on August 8th, and then have to close them later in the year because of a lack of funding," said board member Stephanie Gatewood. Dr. Jeff Warren called the issue critically important. "We need to act on this," he said, "Â…and we need to act on it now. We should not open those schools until the city shows us they're serious in providing us the funding we need."
State law says school systems must operate for a total of one hundred eighty days a year. The law doesn't say schools need to open on August 8th. School board lawyer Dorsey Hopson said "We can open schools in August, or September, or October, just as long as we provide students one hundred eighty school days."
Board members unanimously voted for a special meeting to be called for Wednesday, July 19th at 5:30pm.
The board will discuss the idea of delaying the opening of schools and then they are expected to vote on the issue. Early indications are the votes are there for delaying the opening.
Memphis City Council Chairman Myron Lowery says he saw a copy of the letter that Mayor Wharton was supposed to send to Superintendent Cash. "I saw a copy of it at six in the evening, and I presumed that it had been sent to the superintendent," Lowery said. "It mentioned the payment of three million dollars." Concerning the actions of the school board, Lowery said "The disagreements between the Memphis City Council and the Memphis City School Board has now reached a crescendo."
- MCS Board will meet to vote on whether to delay the opening of school on August 8th
- Superintendent says city owes school system more than $150 million
- Superintendent says schools have only received 52% of cash allocated to them since fiscal year 2009
"Mayor A C Wharton said he would send us a letter today giving the system three million dollars," Cash said. "As of five o'clock, the end of the business day, we had not received any letter." It was just another indication of a city that wasn't willing to pay their legally obligated share of money to a school system, according to the superintendent, and he was tired of it.
Superintendent Cash produced records that went back four years.
Of a total of three hundred nineteen million dollars budgeted by the Memphis City Council to schools, the schools only received a little more than fifty two percent of that money. "I know, I know, times are tough," he said. "But we're the ones that are making the cuts. " Superintendent Cash said over the last four fiscal years, the system has had to eliminate more than fourteen hundred jobs. "We have had to cut close to two hundred million dollars from our budget," he said.
The problem is, according to Cash and others, is the legal battle over school consolidation.
Everybody waits for a ruling from U.S.District Court Judge Samuel Hardy Mays on whether the city charter rules are in force, or state law. The charter, approved in 1961, says if the school board votes to give up its charter and Memphis City Council votes to do the same, then the city school system is out of business. State law says there should be at least at least two years of working out a smooth consolidation plan, and in the meantime, the city school system would remain in operation.
City Council members have said that if the city schools no longer legally exist, then they shouldn't be held accountable for funding the system.
The Cash presentation hit school board members like a sledgehammer in the stomach. Reverend Kenneth Whalum, Jr, a school board member who is known to rarely get support from fellow members, said he doubted the city would ever pay the money owed. "They're not going to pay us that money man," Whalum said. So he said that the August 8th opening of schools should be delayed. "It's going to be hot on August 8th," Whalum said. "If we delay opening schools, and those kids remain home with their parents, how long do you think it will take before we see some of that money?"
The Whalum idea sounded good to many of the board members. "I think it would be irresponsible to open schools on August 8th, and then have to close them later in the year because of a lack of funding," said board member Stephanie Gatewood. Dr. Jeff Warren called the issue critically important. "We need to act on this," he said, "Â…and we need to act on it now. We should not open those schools until the city shows us they're serious in providing us the funding we need."
State law says school systems must operate for a total of one hundred eighty days a year. The law doesn't say schools need to open on August 8th. School board lawyer Dorsey Hopson said "We can open schools in August, or September, or October, just as long as we provide students one hundred eighty school days."
Board members unanimously voted for a special meeting to be called for Wednesday, July 19th at 5:30pm.
The board will discuss the idea of delaying the opening of schools and then they are expected to vote on the issue. Early indications are the votes are there for delaying the opening.
Memphis City Council Chairman Myron Lowery says he saw a copy of the letter that Mayor Wharton was supposed to send to Superintendent Cash. "I saw a copy of it at six in the evening, and I presumed that it had been sent to the superintendent," Lowery said. "It mentioned the payment of three million dollars." Concerning the actions of the school board, Lowery said "The disagreements between the Memphis City Council and the Memphis City School Board has now reached a crescendo."
