Memphis-Shelby County Schools has unveiled its proposed $1.9 billion fiscal year 2024 budget, which includes increased teacher compensation, safety and security upgrades and more academic investment.

MSCS interim superintendent Toni Williams and district CFO Tito Langston presented the proposed budget to the Shelby County Commission Wednesday, April 12.

MSCS talks safety, security measures in light of recent school shooting

The district’s board of education will vote whether to pass the proposed budget May 9 with the document going back before the commission May 10.

Investments in teachers 

The district is proposing $27.3 million toward a new salary schedule for teachers. After several weeks of negotiations, the district and representatives of its two teacher unions agreed back in February on the schedule that would bring teachers up to a higher starting salary.

The new schedule would start teachers off at $47,000 annually for those that only hold a bachelor’s degree and would make the MSCS the highest-paying district for new hires in Shelby County. 

Union representatives pushed for a schedule that included a $50,000 starting salary, and the district is proposing to spend $5.3 million to “explore” an alternative schedule that starts teachers at $50,000 a year.

The additional money would act as an investment on top of what has already been proposed to bring up starting salaries to $50,000, Langston told The Daily Memphian Wednesday.

Overview of Memphis-Shelby County Schools budget includes boost in teacher pay

Other proposed compensation investments include:

• $3.2 million to increase pay for school leaders 
• $7.9 million for a 2% pay increase for all non-instructional employees
• $10 million in sign-on and retention bonuses for hard-to-staff areas like the district’s i-Zone schools and English as a Second Language department
• $10 million in academic performance bonuses for teachers. Langston said that in the past principals gave bonuses to teachers more subjectively, but that the proposed bonuses would be based on state academic performance data, and therefore, more objective.
• $3 million for compensation increases for other employees like security officers and athletic coaches 
• $2 million in stipends for new teacher supports and teacher mentors 

Investments in safety 

MSCS also is proposing $37.6 million for safety upgrades at district schools that it says would include enhanced weapons detection technology as well as cameras and fencing. It also would fund the employment of personnel to oversee the new technology. 

The new weapons detection technology was floated during the State of the District address Williams gave last month. As described then, it would speed up the detection process by not requiring students to remove things like car keys and cell phones before walking through it.

The district is currently piloting the technology at three schools and plans to expand to 17 by August, Williams said Wednesday.

To implement it district-wide would cost around $50 million, which the new proposed funding would go toward.

“We want to bring this technology up to the 21st century,” Williams said.

Hanley Elementary stakeholders want to stay in Achievement School District

Commissioner Charlie Caswell also asked about lobbying efforts on behalf of the district at the state level to secure more funding for mental health services.

He told a story of visiting Craigmont High School in the wake of two student suicides. He said that students rejected mental health counseling they were offered, saying the district only offers help after a tragedy occurs.

“I just wanted to put that on the radar that we need to reach them earlier,” he said. 

Williams said that is something the district is interested in and pointed to $32 million in investments in social-emotional learning efforts that have already been made.

“We are always looking to partner, especially if there are resources out there for our community,” she said. 

As MSCS nears the end of its search for a new leader, its board chair looks back

Investments in academics 

Among its academic investments, MSCS is proposing $20.9 million for new math textbooks and more than $9 million in ESL investments, including teacher sign-on and retention bonuses. 

It’s also proposing $3 million to provide more field trip opportunities. Those trips, as listed in a presentation from Langston last week to the board, could be anything from local trips to college visits for older students. 

Commissioner Henri Brooks asked what the district is doing to increase student literacy rates. 

Williams pointed back to teacher compensation increases and other measures. 

“So, first of all, our strategy to make sure our students can read is to invest in investing in our teachers, investing in small group instruction and you’ll see that we’ve invested like no other — Commissioner Brooks — in tutoring,” she said. 

MSCS says Cummings students will remain at La Rose next year

Capital funding request 

The district also is requesting $66.3 million in capital funds to address its more than $500 million in deferred maintenance issues.

For the past two fiscal years, MSCS has requested $55 million for deferred maintenance but was granted significantly less, $21 million in 2022 and $22 million in 2021.

Langston remained hopeful the district will get the funding it is requesting.

“The superintendent agreed to a timeline that will come before the infrastructure plan to lay it all out,” he said. “The hope is that if we lay it all out and get a new facilities plan, (the commission) will see what it takes to reduce the deferred maintenance.”

The biggest chunk of that request is $51.8 million for school repairs including roof and HVAC upgrades.

What’s going on at Shady Grove? MSCS plans for early childhood hub

It is also looking for $9.9 million to continue work toward its proposed new high school in the Frayser area, a project that has remained on hold.

The remaining funds would include $4.6 million toward intercom and fire alarm upgrades. 

“I know resources are limited in our community, but we are asking you, commissioners, to look at the work that we are doing,” Williams said. 

A full 10-year capital plan for the district is expected by June. The last time a full district-wide review of the state of its buildings was done was during the 2014-2015 school year, and Williams said the district is working on a request-for-proposals to find a vendor to conduct a new study. The district estimates that conducting a new study will cost about $1 million.