Pickler's Pickle

David Pickler is a member of the Shelby County Board of Education. A senior member of the school board, Pickler serves as the chairman of the board. Earlier this year, Pickler proposed that the county school board seek special school district status from the state.
Special school district status would allow the Shelby County school board to impose taxes to fund education and would freeze the current borders of the county school system. Within Shelby County, the city of Memphis operates its own school system. The county-run schools are mostly white, in suburban areas outside Memphis. The Memphis city schools are predominantly black and serve an inner city community plagued by poverty and crime.
In recent years, Memphis has expanded its boundaries through annexation. With each annexation, schools that were built by the county school system were turned over to Memphis officials following annexation.
Pickler argued that the county schools needed special status in order to make long-range plans. He said that special school district status would permanently freeze the current district boundaries, preventing Memphis from annexing county-operated schools.
Both city and county schools are funded, in part, with county property tax revenues. Under the current formula, the much larger city school system receives $3 for every $1 allocated to county schools. In addition to county tax revenues, the city school system also receives funding from city taxpayers. Memphis school officials heave learned that counting on the city's share of funding can be problematic. A few years ago, in order to cut city taxes, Memphis City Council cut the city's funding for schools by millions. Memphis schools filed suit and won in court, but have yet to receive the money that was withheld.
Pickler's plan to create a special school district, with taxing authority, aroused Memphis school officials. If approved, the county schools would have authority to tax residents. Funds generated by the special district tax would not have to be shared with Memphis schools. The result - county taxes would decline while city tax rates would increase substantially.
As a result, Memphis school officials voted to disband the city school system. If approved in a referendum of city residents, the city school system would cease to exist, leaving it the responsibility of the county school system to operate the city schools as well.
Disbanding a large inner city school system seems like an act of surrender to me. But the idea has been gaining traction within the city. Some see consolidating the suburban and city school systems as the last hope for united this divided community. Memphis voters will decide the question some time in February, when the weather is likely to produce a slim turnout. A vocal minority of voters could produce a stunning change in the way kids are educated in Shelby County and Memphis.
This certainly isn't the way Pickler envisioned things when he first proposed setting up a special school district.