Judge rules on school board size
County Commission to decide how many serve
U.S. District Judge Samuel H. Mays Jr. has settled any remaining questions about the size of the board that will govern the consolidated citycounty school district set to open its doors in 2013: It’s up to the Shelby County Commission.
In a conference with attorneys involved in the school consolidation case Tuesday, Mays said the consent agreement reached last year permitted the commission to create a board of up to 13 members, trumping a coun- board members at 13 and a desire to design the most effective governance for the new school district. But, he added, there is little chance that a significant amount of time will be devoted to the topic.
A 13-member unified district board would be one of the largest public school boards in the country. According to the National School Boards Association, a 2010 survey revealed that 81 percent of school boards responding have seven or fewer members.
A 2002 survey found that school boards with seven to nine members were almost evenly distributed among small, medium and large districts. Only 10.6 percent of districts with 25,000 or more students had school boards with more than nine members.
The 23-member board temporarily governing the city and county school districts will be out of business by 2013 under a decision overwhelmingly approved by the 13member County Commission, to be replaced by a 13-member board.
Unified school board chairman Billy Orgel said the commission decision has a positive side — bringing more voices and ideas to the table.
“Whether it’s seven or nine or 23, it’s just a number,” Orgel said. “And in the end you all have to work together.” — Michael Kelley:
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