County OKs 'no confidence' vote against school board
Jan 13, 2025
UPDATE:
The Shelby County Commission on Monday approved a resolution that expressed "no confidence" in the Memphis-Shelby County School Board, and added a demand for a comprehensive action plan by the school board by mid-April.
The vote was 8-4, with Mickell Lowery abstaining.
Several commissioners expressed reservations, worrying that the vote could open the door to a state takeover of the local school district. But Commissioner Britney Thornton said she believed there was nothing left to fight for with the current school board.
Commissioner Amber Mills introduced the resolution of no confidence against the school board. Chairman Michael Whaley added an amendment for the action plan.
Mills clarified that the vote by the county is non-binding.
Earlier coverage is below.
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- After recent chaos surrounding Memphis Shelby County Schools Superintendent Dr. Marie Feagins, Shelby County Commissioners are now putting all eyes on the MSCS board.
"It was an emergency meeting. It was last minute and it caught everybody off guard," said Commissioner Amber Mills.
Monday leaders will vote on County Commissioner Amber Mills' resolution, proposing a vote of "no confidence" against the school board.
And, another resolution, putting a 90-day stop on spending for the new Frayser High School.
County’s no-confidence vote on MSCS may undergo changes
"It's not to stop building. I want to make sure that's clear. It's just kind of to grab the attention of the school board members." said Mills.
We talked to Commissioner Erika Sugarmon from her White Station High School classroom. She co-sponsored the "no confidence" resolution and says she will be one of the seven votes needed to make it happen.
"Hopefully will just take pause, because if they continue this road of recklessness, then that's going to send the wrong message to not only taxpayers but parents, students, and teachers," she said.
Some commissioners, like Commissioner Henri Brooks, call this a "political power play."
“This is about politics, that’s all it is, and we are opening a door that we should not open,” Brooks said.
Commissioner Michael Whaley is expected to add amendments to the resolution, taking out the “no confidence” language.
“And so instead of saying, well, here’s what we didn’t like and what we thought was not good, that I think that our opportunity here is to say what we expect to see,” he said.