The Shelby County (Tenn.) School Board has voted to close George Washington Carver High School in South Memphis.
The Memphis Commercial Appeal reports that the 5-3 vote to close the school puts an end to a lengthy conflict between the district and the community regarding the future of the severely under-enrolled school. The campus opened in 1957.
Community members had proposed a plan that would have saved Carter, but Superintendent Dorsey Hopson said he didn't see a viable path to keeping the school open. He urged the board to approve Carver's closing.
Hopson has maintained that with fewer than 200 students at Carver, the school is not serving them well and is one of the most expensive schools in the district to operate.
The district had planned to wait until next year to close schools as part of a long-term facilities plan. But a severe budget shortfall accelerated the timeline. The board already had voted to close the Memphis Health Careers Academy. In addition, four charters were revoked; those decisions have been upheld by the Tennessee State Board of Education.
