Lawmakers clear path for municipal schools

Measures move in both House, Senate

NASHVILLE — Legislation paving the way for new municipal school districts in the Shelby County suburbs advanced in both the House and Senate Wednesday and are headed to virtually certain passage within the next two weeks.

Education committees in both the House and Senate approved the bill that originally would have increased the number of school districts permitted in any one county from six to seven, but which was amended in both committees it to simply repeal the numerical limits altogether. State law currently allows no more than six school systems in counties above 25,000 people and no more than three in counties smaller than 25,000.

If all six suburban cities create new districts, Shelby County would have seven districts, including the unified school system.

Sen. Mark Norris, R- Collierville, the bill’s sponsor, told the Senate panel that after discussions with state Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman, he decided to eliminate the percounty limits rather than raise them.

“We just didn’t need it any- more,” Norris said. The House sponsor, Rep. Ron Lollar, RBartlett, followed suit in the House committee.

And the main municipal school system bill, removing the state’s 1998 prohibition on creation of new municipal school districts, won approval in a House subcommittee to advance to the full House Finance Committee.

The Senate version is awaiting a Senate floor vote, probably next week.

Meanwhile, two other bills filed as backup measures in case they were needed have been shelved for the year.

One would have repealed the state’s 1982 ban on the creation of new special school districts; the other was a caption bill that could be amended to accomplish whatever suburban leaders felt they needed, including transfer of school buildings and property.