Education Update: Memphis School Board Reviews Superintendent Performance and Future of Bayer Campus

Education Update in Memphis: School Board Meetings and Facility Plans

Hey there, Memphis! It’s that time of the week where we dive into all the exciting happenings in education around our city. There’s a lot going on in the world of schools, so let’s break it down!

School Board Evaluates Superintendent

The Memphis-Shelby County Schools Board of Education has recently been busy discussing the performance of Superintendent Marie Feagins. With a series of letters circulating from former board members expressing their views, the board has been meeting to figure out the best way to assess Feagins’ work through her one-year evaluation.

During a recent meeting on September 30, board members proposed a new set of measures to evaluate Feagins’ performance. The board proposed new weights attached to various criteria, ensuring that the evaluation process reflects the priorities and goals of the school district. However, these new changes are awaiting Feagins’ approval before they can be finalized.

According to Feagins’ contract, the full evaluation must be wrapped up before May. But before that, there will be a mid-year informal evaluation coming in November. Commissioner Natalie McKinney noted that this is a relatively unique aspect of Feagins’ contract, as she has not seen a mid-year evaluation included in previous contracts of superintendents. It seems that the board is eager to ensure they’re on the right track by checking in earlier!

Plans for the Bayer Consumer Health Campus

Another hot topic during the board meetings has been the future of the old Bayer Consumer Health campus, which was purchased back in 2018 for $6.6 million. The board learned from Feagins that an estimated $70 million will be required to bring the building up to standard. Currently, this large campus is only housing around 500 folks, including students and staff.

During the discussions, Board Chairwoman Joyce Dorse Coleman posed various questions about the wisdom of investing money into the campus. As you can imagine, thoughts about what to do with the building led to some interesting suggestions! Commissioner Sable Otey even wondered aloud if it might make sense to demolish the building and repurpose the land for something more beneficial to the community. Meanwhile, some other commissioners contemplated the idea of selling the building entirely to recoup costs.

It sounds like the future of the Bayer campus is still up in the air, and for now, there are no plans to either sell or demolish the building. The district has already spent about $30 million on renovations since acquiring the site, so the decision on how to proceed will undoubtedly be a pivotal one for the board.

Get Involved!

If you have any questions or concerns about education in Memphis, don’t hesitate to reach out! Residents can send their inquiries to Brooke Muckerman, who is eager to tackle any issues you would like to see addressed in upcoming articles.

Additionally, remember that the MSCS school board will be meeting for their regularly scheduled work session at 5:30 p.m. at the Coe Auditorium, located at 160 S. Hollywood. Public participation is encouraged, and it’s a great opportunity to stay informed and engaged!

Stay tuned for more updates on education in and around Memphis. There’s always something happening, and it’s great to be part of a community that cares about our schools and our children’s futures!