The debate over school consolidation continues as Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton pushes for the change.
Herenton met with the City Council and Shelby County Commission on Wednesday to discuss the topic. The move would create a metropolitan school system instead of separate Memphis City Schools and Shelby County School systems. Herenton's plan would call for a school system of five mini districts, each with a superintendent and chancellor of education.
He said the school systems would benefit from the change by saving money without causing the quality of education to suffer.
While the consolidation would not affect students already at The University of Memphis, students here who attended either Memphis City or Shelby County schools have concerns.
Freshman Elisha Lewis graduated from a city school, Ridgeway High School, in 2004. She said she does not see the benefits of consolidating the schools.
"I'm not for it at all," she said. "I went to a city school and I know our school didn't teach us at the same level."
Lewis said the move would not change the quality of city schools and would affect county schools in a negative way.
"The same problems that happen in city schools would still be going on, and it would only make the county schools worse," she said.She also said she questions how financially sound the consolidation would be.
"If they merge the schools then who is going to be managing the money?" she asked. "Because the city schools already get more money than county schools and they (city schools) don't handle it correctly," she said.
Despite her opposition to the plan, she said that the only way for the schools to improve under consolidation would be a move to a county schools curriculum for everyone.
"It wouldn't help unless they start having county school curriculum, because it's a lot more advanced," she said.
While Lewis is not in favor of consolidation, U of M Senior, Jakeva Dotson said that she would support consolidation if it will help the students.
"They should do whatever is good for the students," she said. "But don't risk the children's education and programs just to save some money."
Dotson graduated from Wooddale High School, a city school, in 2000. She said that she got a good education there, due to the help of a large grant that the school received.
"They had some money back then and it was a good school," she said.However, she said since her school lost the program the quality of education has decreased due to the loss in money. She said that if consolidation would bring more resources to the city schools then her schools' education might not have suffered.
"Since they've lost the grant the school's education hasn't been nearly as good," she said.
Linda Allen is a graduate of a Shelby County school, Germantown High, and said she does not see the benefits of consolidating the schools.
"I definitely don't want this to happen, because I don't think the quality of schools are the same," the U of M fashion merchandise graduate student said. "Most people who went to Shelby County schools feel the same way too."
While Dotson said there is a difference in the quality overall, consolidation would be good if it could give the city schools more resources.
"It's not the students-it's a lack or resources and if consolidation can help that then I'm for it," she said. "County schools have the best teachers, best books, best resources and if the city schools could get that then they would benefit."
Sophomore Lonzell Matthews graduated from Cordova High School in 2003. Cordova switched from the county to the city school system last year, and Matthews said it has affected his alma mater.
"To tell the truth once my school turned city there were more fights, more drugs and the teachers got poorer," he said.
"I think they should leave the systems how it is, because Shelby County is one of the best school systems and Memphis is one of the worse," he said. "Consolidation would help the city schools in a way, but in a way it'll bring the county schools down."
