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Shelby County school board reviews Goodwill Excel expansion, seeks county investment for adult high‑school sites including correctional facility
Summary
The Shelby County Board of Education on Monday reviewed a recommendation to allow Goodwill Excel Center Mid‑South to open two additional adult high‑school locations—one at the Shelby County Correctional Center and one at Promise Academy—and said it will ask Shelby County commissioners for an estimated $1,094,250 to start the sites.
The Shelby County Board of Education on Monday reviewed a recommendation to allow Goodwill Excel Center Mid‑South to open two additional adult high‑school locations—one inside the Shelby County Correctional Center (ZIP code 38134) and one at Promise Academy (ZIP code 38108)—and discussed seeking county commission investment to front the program’s start‑up costs.
The item was presented as a request that the board recommend that the district ask Shelby County commissioners for funding. Interim Superintendent Richmond and district staff said the district will ask the county commission for an estimated $1,094,250 to support the two sites. At the meeting Chief Langston characterized that sum as an estimate based on expected enrollment, saying, “Again, this is an estimate based on the number of students that’s expected, but it’s $1,094,250.”
Why it matters: The program is intended to provide adult high‑school diplomas to incarcerated residents and others who need a diploma, a district official said, and the board signaled support for seeking outside funding rather than using only district general funds. Board members stressed coordination with county officials and asked for clarifications about which ZIP codes Goodwill may operate in under the district’s existing approval.
Discussion and clarifications: Board member McKinney asked whether the two new ZIP codes would expand or replace previously approved locations. A district staff member said the change is a replacement in the sense that Goodwill may only operate up to four schools under the current approval; the vendor will have to choose which ZIP codes to activate within that limit. The staff member said, “they still can only have 4 schools, which is the amount that is approved right now,” and that Goodwill would need to select sites if more than four ZIP codes are approved.
On funding and timing, district staff said they plan to request county funding, but if commissioners decline, the district could delay the program start or cover some costs from the district’s fund 1 budget. Richmond said the district had discussed moving a start date back to reduce the immediate cost, for example delaying from an earlier start to January so the district would incur roughly half the initial cost.
On the size of the jail population, a corrections official in the audience, Mr. Shuler, told the board, “there’s currently 1,100 residents in the Shelby County corrections,” and staff said they would provide additional details about how many incarcerated residents lack a high‑school diploma and about timelines for enrollment and release dates for potential program participants.
Next steps: Staff said the recommendation will be taken to the Shelby County Commission as part of a county funding request. The board did not record a final vote on this item in the portion of the transcript provided; staff said they will present specific cost breakdowns and an enrollment rubric as they prepare the county request.
Ending: Board members expressed interest in coordinating outreach to county commissioners and in getting the program started as soon as funding and operational details are finalized.
