Category: Memphis City Schools

Mayor’s Bold 75-Cent Tax Increase Request Promises “Real” Budget Hearings

by Smart City Memphis | May 2, 2024 | City of Memphis Government, Leadership, Memphis City Schools | 2

If nothing else, Mayor Paul Young’s first budget request was an exercise in hutzpah, but his...

PILOTs Take $18.3 Million a Year From Schools

by Smart City Memphis | Mar 18, 2024 | Education, Memphis City Schools, Politics and Government, Shelby County government | 1

“Students lose out as cities and states give billions in property tax breaks to businesses –...

The 50th Anniversary of White Flight

by Smart City Memphis | Aug 28, 2023 | Education, Memphis City Schools | 0

By John Branston There are not likely to be any celebrations or official proclamations, but this...

Moral Budget Asks: What Will Budgets Say About Community Values?

by Smart City Memphis | May 27, 2021 | City of Memphis Government, Education, Health, Memphis City Schools, Shelby County government | 0

The following is the Moral Budget Proposal submitted to Memphis and Shelby County Governments by...

Getting Past The Big Picnic Table To The Big Question

by Smart City Memphis | Jun 3, 2019 | City of Memphis Government, Economic Development, Memphis City Schools, Shelby County government | 0

We have been blogging for more than five years about the pivot point to be provided by the Memphis bicentennial and the opportunity to point the city toward the future with a clear sense...

Can PILOTs Be Investments Rather than Entitlements?

by Smart City Memphis | Mar 4, 2019 | City of Memphis Government, Downtown Revitalization, Economic Development, Education, Memphis City Schools, Shelby County government, Taxation | 1

In light of Shelby County Mayor’s thoughtful and logical comments expressing his reservations about the way this community, with one of the highest poverty rates in...

It’s Time To Assess County Government’s Anti-School Moves

by Smart City Memphis | Aug 17, 2018 | Education, Memphis City Schools, Shelby County government | 0

This post is written by Jimmie Covington, veteran Memphis reporter with lengthy experience covering governmental, school, and demographic issues. He is a...

Lee Harris Rides The Crest Of A Blue Tsunami

by Smart City Memphis | Aug 6, 2018 | Criminal Justice, Economic Development, Education, Memphis City Schools, Shelby County government, Taxation | 7

It took about three county elections longer than expected, but when it came last Thursday, it was no blue wave. Rather, it was a tsunami. It swept over every Republican...

Schools Battle For Funds…As Usual

by Smart City Memphis | May 23, 2016 | City of Memphis Government, Criminal Justice, Education, Memphis City Schools | 4

‘Twas ever thus. In the yearly drama of Shelby County Board of Commissioners’ budget hearings, schools need more money and struggle to find support and the sheriff’s request for a...

Will Unified School Board Make the Grade?

by Smart City Memphis | May 29, 2012 | Education, Memphis City Schools | 5

Anytime there’s a lag in political intrigue in Memphis and Shelby County, we can always depend on our school issues to produce some. That’s particularly true when it involves...

Traumatic Events in Future Until We Really Invest in Children

by Smart City Memphis | Mar 14, 2012 | Economic Development, Education, Memphis City Schools, Poverty | 0

“We are a nation of idiots about infancy.” It was unquestionably a slap-in-the-face wake-up call, but there was no rebuttal to offer after recently listening to the convincing...

Failing the Test on New Districts

by Smart City Memphis | Sep 2, 2011 | Memphis City Schools | 43

So, let’s make sure we’ve got this right. So, what if under a new unified school district, students in Germantown will attend the same schools and have the same principals? The curriculum comes from State of Tennessee. ...

Latest Bill Day Cartoon

Retribution, A Cartoon by Award-Winning Bill Day

by Bill Day. Memphian Bill Day is two-time winner of the RFK Journalism Award in Cartooning. His cartoons are syndicated internationally by Cagle Cartoons. Cartoons Archive →

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About Smart City Memphis

Since 2005, this has been Smart City Consulting’s blog with the aim of connecting the dots and providing perspective on issues and policies shaping Memphis. Editor and primary author is Tom Jones, columnist at Memphis magazine, author of two books and a museum exhibition, and consultant on public policy and strategic planning. Smart City Memphis was called one of the most intriguing blogs in the U.S. by the Pew Partnership for Civic Change; The (Memphis) Commercial Appeal wrote: “Smart City Memphis provides some of the most well-thought-out thinking about Memphis’ past, present, and future you’ll find anywhere,” and the Memphis Flyer said: “This incredibly well-written blog sets out to solves the city’s ills – from the mayor to MATA – with out-of-the-box thinking, fresh approaches to old problems, and new ideas.” If you have questions, submissions, or ideas for posts, please email Tom Jones, at tjones@smartcityconsulting.com.