Editorial 03/16: School funding fight looms

March 16, 2005

The Commercial Appeal

The stage is set for a battle royal in the courtroom over who's responsible for the education of Memphis schoolchildren.

Wouldn't it be great if the politicians would do their jobs and decide the issue over a cup of coffee?

The lines of attack began to form last week when attorneys for the city and state governments issued conflicting opinions on the issue.

Tennessee Atty. Gen. Paul Summers's advisory opinion, requested in January by state Sen. Mark Norris, R-Collierville, concluded that the city "will be in violation of the law" if it cuts or eliminates funding.

That's not just an academic question. Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton, in an attempt to force city and county school systems to consolidate, has proposed that the city drop its $86 million supplement to the city schools budget.

He was backed last week by City Attorney Sara Hall and City Council Attorney Allan J. Wade, whose joint opinion held that the city has no obligation, either under its charter or state law, to provide funding.

If the parties have to go to court to settle the matter, so be it. The question is a matter of legal interpretation of some very old and antiquated state statutes, and it most likely would not require a lengthy court battle.

But that would mean there would be a winner and a loser when the legal guns ceased fire. Either the urban or the suburban side would come out on top. Either the urban or the suburban side would be left with a belly full of resentment.

That just seems to be the wrong approach in a community whose future success depends so much on the education of all of its schoolchildren -- rich, poor, urban, suburban, black, white, Asian, Hispanic, or any other way people try to divvy them up.

The Memphis and Shelby County school districts have made some positive moves in recent months to advance the cause of cooperation. Useful discussions have taken place to create a better understanding of the funding issues and how things might be improved.