Shelby County Schools is considering rebranding itself with a new name reflecting the fact that most students live within Memphis, Superintendent Joris Ray said as part of his State of the District address Friday, April 16.

Memphis Shelby County Schools would be the new name for the state’s largest public district – a way, in the words of school board Chairwoman Miska Clay Bibbs, for the district to define who it is.

More than 80% of the students SCS serves live within the Memphis city limits. The current SCS moniker is a carryover from the 2013 merger of Memphis City Schools and Shelby County Schools that occurred when the suburban municipalities broke away to form their own districts.

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The proposed name change is part of the Reimagine 901 plan that is subject to board approval as well as state and county leaders.

Other proposed changes under the plan include higher starting salaries for teachers and the creation of more than 900 jobs that will serve as an investment in the communities surrounding the schools. The jobs range from specialized assistant roles in the classrooms to support for infrastructure changes, such as HVAC specialists. 

In addition to outlining those proposals, Ray also used his second annual address to recap the impact the coronavirus pandemic. 

He offered a moment of silence for the more than 1,500 Shelby County residents who died because of the coronavirus. He recounted the rapid changes the district had to undertake in transitioning to virtual learning, distributing devices and a personal change on his part – a 30-pound weight loss. 

Regarding the proposed name change, Ray unveiled drafts of logos with the proposed name and was met with a standing ovation. The name change would be subject to county and state approval. 

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“We’re going to move the needle,” Ray said. “We’re no longer going to be a school district of intervention. No longer are mergers, de-mergers and achievement gaps going to define 901. We are rewriting our history and it starts today with student achievement.”

The district will also continue to move forward with the footprint plan introduced by immediate past superintendent Dorsey Hopson. The plan seeks to “right size” the district through school closures and consolidations.

The first of the plan’s new consolidated schools, Parkway Village Elementary and the new Alcy Elementary School, have since opened in South Memphis. 

Ray also listed several changes to reimagine education at each grade level. On each level, he emphasized the development of emotional intelligence. The proposed academic changes include: 

Elementary schools

• Reduce student-to-adult ratios in K-2 from 1:25 to 1:13
• Offer pre-k for all 4-year-olds
• Increase honors courses, coding and robotics activities 
• Offer theater or visual arts programs in all elementary schools
• Create service-learning projects for all elementary students

Middle schools

• Increase honors, coding and STEM classes
• Implement social action programs such as conservation and international studies
• Create service-learning projects for all middle schools 
• Establish K-8 schools to minimize transitions 
• Create sixth-grade transition academies to begin career exploration
• Offer college, career and technical education industry-based certifications and apprenticeships

High schools

• Explore later school start times
• Expand access to Advanced Placement courses
• Open a medical district high school
• Create theater and visual/performing arts programs in all high schools
• Require a minimum of 24 hours of community service before graduation