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Shelby County education leaders outline plan to review five school closures, repurposing with Feb. 2026 vote
Summary
Interim Superintendent Dr. Richmond and staff presented a five-step timeline under board policy 7002 to study, hold public hearings and bring formal recommendations in February 2026 on proposed transfers, closures and repurposing for five schools including Lucy Elementary and Ida B. Wells Academy.
Interim Superintendent Dr. Richmond told the Shelby County Board of Education that the district will begin a process to evaluate the closure, transfer or repurposing of five schools and bring formal recommendations for a board vote in February 2026.
"Tonight we begin 1 of the most important journeys our district can undertake, the process of closing and repurposing schools," Dr. Richmond said, introducing a timeline and policy overview the board reviewed at its meeting.
The presentation, led by Miss Stewart and other staff, said the review follows board policy 7002 and the MSCS facilities framework and is driven by factors identified in the policy: declining enrollment, population shifts, facility condition and capacity utilization. The five facilities named for study were Lucy Elementary (proposed transfer to Millington Municipal School District), Ida B. Wells Academy (closure/repurposing for district use), Frasier Corning Elementary (closure/consolidation), Chickasaw Middle School (closure/consolidation) and Georgian Hills Elementary (closure/consolidation).
Staff outlined a five-phase schedule: Phase 1 (initiation and due diligence, August–October 2025) to commission school closing impact reports for each school; Phase 2 (community engagement, October–December 2025) to hold at least two public hearings per school and publish summaries; Phase 3 (legal and intergovernmental review, December 2025–January 2026) including negotiating an interlocal agreement for Lucy Elementary and confirming any required approvals with the Tennessee Department of Education and Shelby County Commission; Phase 4 (board decision, February 2026) when resolutions and full documentation will be presented for vote; and Phase 5 (implementation, March–July 2026) for notifications, student reassignment, transportation and HR transition plans.
Staff said required deliverables will include completed school closing impact reports, two public hearings per school, interlocal agreement drafts for Lucy transfer, a repurposing/disposition framework and the full board resolution package. The presentation also noted compliance checks with Title I and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and attention to charter protections and reversionary clauses.
Board members asked for additional detail in the impact reports. "These sets of schools will impact the Northwest and Southwest regions," Dr. Richmond said when asked which parts of the district would be affected. Several members pressed staff to include receiving-school assignments and the geographic regions that would take displaced students, academic-performance data, security plans for vacated buildings, transportation analyses and multi-year service histories for each school.
Board Member McKissick asked how staff would communicate with families immediately. Dr. Richmond said the district will provide a timeline and an FAQ packet and that staff can meet directly with principals, teachers and families in the coming days while the formal data are prepared for October and November community meetings. "I would encourage them to continue to do their very, very best," Dr. Richmond said, urging teachers and students to continue instruction amid the review.
Questions from other board members focused on implementation details: whether teachers and administrators could follow students to receiving schools; how student achievement data would be accounted for when students move into another building; and whether transportation changes (including increased bus routes) might improve attendance in some neighborhoods.
Miss Stewart said receiving-school plans will include capacity, academic programming and any necessary facility upgrades at schools slated to receive students. The district also said it will provide translation services and hold forums in affected ZIP codes.
No final board action on any closure, transfer or repurposing was recorded in this meeting. Staff asked the board for permission to move forward with the schedule and to begin community engagement and the data work required to meet the February 2026 decision date.
The board then moved to staff action items on the agenda.
