For MSCS district, it's State of the Art vs. State of Repair

Three numbers tell the story of school infrastructure in Memphis: 32, 40, 64.

The average age of school buildings in Shelby County municipal school districts is 32 years old.

Nationally, the recommended life span of a school building is 40 years.

The average age of school buildings in Memphis-Shelby County Schools is 64 years old.

MSCS students attend classes in buildings that are, on average, 24 years past the functional recommendation, and twice as old as their peers in the suburbs. This disparity is inherently separate and unequal.

A statewide assessment of school infrastructure is a needed first step to identify and address the inequitable education landscape across Tennessee. A child’s ZIP code should not determine if their school is updated or outdated.

Across the county, it’s a tale of two classrooms, and Memphis students bear the burden of aging buildings daily. Hands-on learning experiences, simulations, and immersive labs often have to be adjusted because our facilities lack the electrical infrastructure or room configurations to accommodate some of the latest approaches to learning.

Furthermore, over the last 18 months, our students have endured school closures or relocations due to multiple reasons, including HVAC malfunctions on hot days, burst pipes during deep freezes, a ceiling collapse last school year on the second day of class at the 62-year-old Cummings K-8 Optional School building, and, mold growth following heavy rain that seeped into the 114-year-old Peabody Elementary School building. On some days, tackling the never-ending repairs, remediations, and replacements feels like a game of whack-a-mole, but, under my administration, the District is addressing the challenge head-on.

Understanding the scope and severity of our building needs, one of the first moves I made as interim superintendent was tackling a backlog of preventative maintenance needs. I am working with School Board members on a resolution and comprehensive facilities plan that also addresses our $500 million in deferred maintenance.

Many have asked: Why is the District’s deferred maintenance total so high? One factor driving costs is that the average age of MSCS school buildings is 64 years old and caring for aging buildings is expensive.

In a 2022 report, the State Comptroller stated,

The age and quality of existing school buildings can drive the need for increased capital spending on a variety of renovations or even whole building replacements. Upgraded standards for technology and security systems, health concerns related to asbestos, mold, or lead in water pipes, and decades of normal wear and tear on buildings can all impact capital spending. School buildings typically have a useful life of 30 to 50 years.

The report added, that without a major renovation, buildings past that threshold “reach a point where they are no longer cost-efficient.”

A report by the National Center for Education Statistics echoes these sentiments, stating, “After 40 years, a school building begins rapid deterioration, and after 60 years most schools are abandoned.”

I’m not advocating for a bulldozer revolution because I understand that buildings carry memories and landscapes are woven with local history. However, if we are committed to these architectural jewels, then we must commit the funds to preserve them. Let's transform aging schools into historic gems where legacy meets future.

We must also complete right-size renovations of existing buildings, consider consolidations, and construct new schools in areas where populations have shifted. This is why MSCS lobbied for money to build two new high schools in Cordova and Frayser. They will be the District’s first new high schools in a decade. We thank County Mayor Lee Harris and our Commissioners for the county’s contributions to the schools, while acknowledging the daunting reality that a shortfall remains due to rising inflation. Over a three-year building period, we’ll need to secure an additional $20 million per year for Frayser and an additional $25 million a year for Cordova to keep both projects on track based on our current design plans, which are comparable to the recently opened Collierville High School. 

Another factor driving our deferred maintenance cost is years of underfunding. Following the 2013 merger of Memphis City Schools and Shelby County Schools, Memphis students lost funding from the City of Memphis, which withdrew its annual contribution of upwards of $80 million. Over the years, several community and political leaders have organized to demand the City restore the “maintenance of efforts” funding. We must not abandon this campaign. If the other municipalities in Shelby County contribute funding to their school districts, shouldn’t Memphis schoolchildren deserve the same commitment from their city and any future mayor?

Finally, I also join the chorus of voices nationwide urging more federal investments in school construction. While the stimulus money provided during the pandemic was instrumental in funding technology upgrades, COVID tests, and personal protective equipment, districts were prohibited from using stimulus money for constructing new schools. The U.S. Government Accountability Office and the American Association of Civil Engineers have highlighted the need for significant federal investment in school construction to help address the infrastructure inequality that disproportionately impacts Black, Brown, and low-income students.

In alignment with accounting standards, MSCS Board policy states that the District must maintain an amount equal to at least 8% of its annual budget in fund balance, or savings. Our current fund balance is at 10%. In August, I asked the School Board to allocate $64 million in fund balance to building maintenance. Yet, even after this measure, we continue to have $500 million in deferred maintenance districtwide, and the tally grows daily as schools age.

We cannot say that our children are our future and remain silent while they learn in relics of the past. We cannot declare that education is the foundation of a thriving city while watching the foundation of our schools crumble without funding a comprehensive replacement plan. We have challenged our children to see the future, and we are challenging our leaders to build the future.

With a return to the maintenance of effort funding from the City of Memphis, a statewide assessment of school infrastructure, and a transformative federal investment, we can eliminate the disparity that Memphis students face. No longer can we accept that some students attend schools that are state-of-the-art and others attend schools that are in a state of repair. We must act with all deliberate speed to create future-ready facilities for all students and end infrastructure inequality.

Tutonial "Toni" Williams is the interim superintendent of the Memphis Shelby County Schools.