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Community presses county to secure final $2.3 million for Whitehaven High STEM center
Summary
Residents, donors and commissioners urged action after months of delay on the Whitehaven High STEM building, saying private fundraising and prior county allocations leave a $2.3 million gap that Memphis‑Shelby County Schools has not yet committed in writing.
Commissioner Edmund Ford, sponsor of the Whitehaven STEM item, told the commission the Whitehaven community and private donors have raised roughly $7 million toward a planned $10 million STEM building and that the school district pledged $2.3 million two years ago but has not yet delivered written assurances. "We're ready to construct," Ford said, urging the county to act so the project wouldn’t fall apart after years of local fundraising.
More than a dozen Whitehaven residents, alumni and teachers testified in support. Vicky Clay, who identified herself as a Whitehaven parent and employee, said the center would provide “real world applications” and hands‑on learning. Donor Justin Jones said he invested to make the center a reality and called the current delay “a pipe dream” if the school board does not honor its commitment. Board member Keith Williams, who represents the area, told commissioners the school system must complete its part to finish the project.
County officials described two possible ways to move forward. Budget staff and the county administration said $1.3 million in CIP (capital improvement) funding remains assigned to MSCS but cannot be paid to a non‑governmental fiscal agent; staff said any check from the school system must be accompanied by receipts to trigger reimbursement. Treasurer and finance staff explained deferred‑maintenance funds previously allocated to MSCS are still held in county finance pending receipts, which has made it difficult for the contractor to start construction. County staff also said some state and FEMA grant options could offset parts of the project, including storm‑shelter funding should that element be required.
Ford placed a substitute resolution on the table that would allocate up to $2,341,243 from the education fund balance to SchoolSeed (a local fiscal agent) so construction could begin immediately. County officials said they would review whether the education fund balance could be legally used without affecting the education maintenance‑of‑effort and asked the school district for written confirmation of any dedicated CIP dollars already committed.
Next steps: commissioners agreed to continue discussion at a special session and to request firm written commitments and an updated cost breakdown before any final appropriation. The budget committee moved the item forward without a final recommendation to allow further review and coordination with MSCS.
