Voters in 6 Memphis suburbs head to polls Tuesday
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – Voters in six Memphis suburbs are heading to the polls to decide whether the municipalities should start separate public school districts.
The vote on Tuesday will determine if the suburbs of Arlington, Bartlett, Collierville, Germantown, Lakeland and Millington can start their own school districts.
Suburban leaders and many parents want to avoid the massive merger between Memphis City Schools and Shelby County Schools. They fear that education quality and academic achievement will suffer if they join the huge merged system.
The merger, which has created a school system of 150,000 students, begins operating when classes start in August.
Critics say the suburban separation would cause a dent in the massive consolidation efforts, which have included intense budget battles and layoffs of hundreds of teachers and office employees. (Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
