State lawmaker offers consolidation alternative
March 4, 2005


State Senator Mark Norris has filed three different versions of his special school district bill in Nashville. Deals are already in the works in Nashville to move one of the Norris bills forward. The special school district bill would allow any county in Tennessee to create one or more special school districts, freezing district boundaries and giving limited taxing authority. Norris said, "It's a first step toward local control, smaller schools and more equitable funding." The plan is a sharp contrast to Mayor Herenton's consolidation plan which proposes one county-wide super-system, broken down into five sub-districts. "I do it through special districts, he would do it through consolidation. We don't think bigger is better. Not when it comes to education. Not when it comes to schools." If the Norris plan were to pass, the Memphis and Shelby County School districts would likely negotiate their boundaries, then those boundaries would be frozen. Even with annexation by the city of Memphis, school district boundaries would never change. The Norris plan is supported by Shelby County School leaders who point out that City Schools would get no less money under the plan. David Pickler, Shelby Co. School Bd. Chair said, "Special School Districts would in no way reduce by one dime the amount of funding that would go to city or county schools." Memphis City Schools has its own bill floating in the legislature. The bill would give the city district similar limited taxing power, but would give it to Memphis and Memphis only. Action News 5 talked to MCS President Wanda Halbert and board attorney Percy Harvey. They're holding out hope that their own version of a funding bill will pass in Nashville. But they'd need a unanimous vote from the Shelby County Delegation, and unless, Shelby County Schools get a piece of the pie, sources say that's not likely to happen. Norris has already introduced his ideas to other senators. The ideas are still in the formative stages. One major challenge ahead, getting the proposal through the House Education Subcommittee un-scathed.