At a special called meeting this evening, Shelby County’s school board unanimously approved agreements with Collierville, Millington, and Bartlett. The agreements settle a lawsuit and transfer buildings from the merged district to the municipalities, which are planning to create their own districts.
Five of the six suburbs have now settled with the merged school district and been deeded buildings. Lakeland and Arlington were the first to come to historic agreements with the merged district at a special called meeting last week. Board members are still negotiating with Germantown.
The settlements with Collierville, Millington, and Bartlett transfer school buildings from the merged Shelby County school district to the municipalities. The municipalities have been planning to create their own school districts since the legacy Memphis City district surrendered its charter and set in motion a merger with the Shelby County’s schools. That merger became official on July 1.
The agreement with Bartlett transfers 11 schools to the town and requires the Bartlett board of education to pay $608,193 per year for 12 years, or $7.3 million in all. The agreement with Collierville transfers eight schools to the town and requires the Collierville board to pay $507,819 per year for 12 years, or $6.1 million in all. The agreement with Millington transfers four schools to the town and requires Millington to pay $230,219 per year for 12 years, or $2.8 million in all.
That brings the total amount of money Shelby County Schools will receive from the municipalities up to approximately $20.9 million.
Board member Teresa Jones thanked the board for making the agreements available to the public before they were approved. Last week’s agreements with Lakeland and Arlington were not public before the board voted.
Millington’s was the only agreement that garnered discussion. The school of Lucy, though it is within Millington’s boundaries, will remain within Shelby County’s school district. Most of its students are from unincorporated Shelby County or from Memphis.
The new Millington district will serve students who live in Millington reserve and in the town proper.
Valerie Sweatman, the lawyer for the merged district, said that in the future, buildings could be transferred between municipalities, but it would likely require a public vote or act of the legislature.
Sweatman said she did not believe Millington has the funds to support a school board.
The Shelby County Commission approved last week’s settlements with Lakeland and Arlington on Friday.
“We wish you well,” Kevin Woods, the board’s chairman, said to the residents of each of the municipalities after each vote.