Humes Middle School in North Memphis will close at the end of this academic year as it returns to the Memphis Shelby-County district's control after a decade in Tennessee's failed turnaround district for low-performing schools.
African-Americans are drastically underrepresented in aviation. But Humes Middle School launched a program this school that aims to get more Black students into the industry.
MSCS officials gave students at MLK College Prep a choice of six schools to attend next year while construction on a new school in Frayser gets underway.
MSCS officials recommended that the board deny applications by five schools in Tennessee’s turnaround district, plus bids from four new schools. The board approved two schools.
If the MSCS board denies the schools’ charter applications, the district could operate them later as traditional schools. But if that doesn’t happen, the schools would close.
Memphis-Shelby County Schools is asking the county for $10 million for a school in Frayser that would combine Trezevant H.S. with MLK College Preparatory High School, a charter.
Among the applicants is a school led by former top MSCS official John Barker and several existing schools under the state’s Achievement School District.
Memphis board disregarded recommendation to deny Frayser network’s proposal, and instead approved Westside Middle School, which has an anti-racist theme.