By Eleanor Boudreau
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkno/local-wkno-946391.mp3
Memphis, TN – Last night South Memphis pastor Noel Hutchinson goaded the Memphis City Schools board to give the city schools over to Shelby County Schools.
"Within that is legal and possible, work with SCS [Shelby County Schools] to make this potential marriage work," Hutchinson said. "You can't delay it for the couple already has about 150,000 children."
In the end, the board agreed with him. The board rejected a "compromise" offered them by SCS that would have guaranteed both systems stayed single for at least 18 more months.
Fewer board members voted for the compromise than voted to surrender their charter in the first place. The offered "compromise" failed a miserable two--Kenneth Whalum and Freda Williams--to seven--everyone else.
Member Jeffery Warren voted against the compromise as-is because he wants another version he amended. But he didn't even bring his version up for a vote, "If you bring it up and it fails, you can't bring it back," Warren said.
It's not clear when he'll get another chance. The election commission meets at 4 pm and is expected to set a date for a citywide referendum on handing the administration of the city schools over to the county.
Most board members objected to the compromise offered them because after a planning period it allowed county residents, as well as city residents, to vote on whether or not to consolidate.
Board member Tomeka Hart was disgusted by the idea of the board doing anything that steered the issue away from Memphis voters.
"It keeps me up at night," Hart said.