MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis-Shelby County Schools' board is on the clock to finalize a budget one day after the body shot down a major proposal of their spending plan.
Members overwhelmingly rejected a proposal by superintendent Marie Feagins to shift hundreds of jobs from their central office to the classroom at the Tuesday, June 11, 2024 board meeting.
MSCS School Board Mauricio Calvo was the only person to vote against the resolution, citing those job cuts will happen sooner or later.
"I feel like this resolution didn't go far enough, didn't put a timeline, didn't do a lot of those things so people weren't just gonna be confused," Calvo said.
Feagins presented her case to the school board on Tuesday in hopes to cut more than 1,000 jobs, including 400 which are currently vacant.
"We're in denial if anybody tells you that personnel cuts are not coming," Calvo said.
Calvo said while he was the lone board member to vote against pausing the proposed staff restructuring, he was not all too happy with how Feagins presented those cuts. He said he's willing to do what is best for the students and pushing the district forward.
"Whether we terminate people or not, we have to give 60-day notice to people, especially when you have such a massive amount of people and you're such a large employer," Calvo said. "Otherwise, the district could incur a daily fine which is close to $500 per day, per employee."
The resolution not being passed meant a delay of MSCS approving their own budget, of which Shelby County Commission gets the final say.
Shelby County Commission board chair, Miska Clay Bibbs said MSCS' budget ranges between $400-500 million annually. She said that district's budget is the commission's largest educational portion to get approved. Bibbs said MSCS board members know the budget deadline is looming around the corner.
"They know the same guidelines and they know the same timelines that we're working with here, so I fully expect for them to come to some type of resolution quickly in order to be able to move forward," Bibbs said.
Bibbs told ABC24 that MSCS can send a temporary budget to be finalized later. She said they have until June 30 for final approval.
According to Bibbs, state law does give a provision for extended time should MSCS need it.
On Thursday evening, MSCS is hosting a community budget meeting. Calvo said next Tuesday's board meeting is crucial if they want to meet the budget deadline.