Many students, as well as teachers, from Germantown High School gathered in the school’s library Thursday, Oct. 6, to show their support for the school amid the ownership battle between Germantown and the Memphis-Shelby County Schools districts.

Collectively decked out in Germantown High-branded attire, students explained their belief that the school should stay open and continue serving the students that attend there.

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“This is not about attacking a decision; this is about saving our home,” student Ishmael Recio said.

The battle over the schools, which also includes Germantown Elementary and Germantown Middle schools as well as Lucy Elementary in Millington, originated when the municipal school districts split from the larger, countywide district in 2014.

Germantown Municipal School District was one of six suburban districts formed after the separation, and although the 3Gs are located in and bear the name of the suburb, MSCS continues to operate them.

Although the battle has been going on for some time, recent developments have accelerated the timeline for Germantown and MSCS to negotiate a decision.

If Germantown Municipal School District and MSCS don’t reach an agreement by Jan. 1, 2023, MSCS must transfer the ownership of the schools to GMSD. There is a financial consideration outlined in the law, and Germantown Mayor Mike Palazzolo has vowed current MSCS students will be able to finish their school careers at the namesake schools.

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Like Recio, other students representing several different clubs and organizations spoke Thursday about the bonds they have formed while attending the school and the sense of community it has afforded them.

Ronald Webster, a senior who serves as the class vice-president, supported the school’s creative arts programs like theater and GHS-TV, the school’s student-run news program.

“Losing this legacy would be a tremendous waste of all the talent we have in our area,” Webster said.

Another student, Samuel Benjamin, outlined the benefits of the school’s JROTC program in which he also participates.

Benjamin said that the program doesn’t push students involved in it to join the military later and even includes its own Knowledge Bowl team.

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He also resisted the idea that GHS students could easily attend another school if it were to shut down. He said many students are involved in several extracurricular endeavors like sports and other organizations, which could make transitioning to another school harder.

“Kicking us out would be like kicking premature birds out of the nest,” he said.

Teachers also expressed support for the school and their desire to keep it open.

Jeremy Fields, who has taught in MSCS schools for most of his teaching career, said being at GHS has helped him heal while dealing with personal issues.

“This school helped me put my pieces back together. I can only imagine what it is like for the students,” he said.

Another teacher who is also a GHS alum, Jordan Bernardini, praised students for how they’ve bounced back since returning after the pandemic.

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“The students have done everything they can to make this a school again,” he said.

Like Benjamin, some students’ comments were based on the idea of soon being “kicked out” of the school. Speaking for the group, Webster suggested a belief that the school is closing July 1 next year based on information he said they have received.

Others cast doubt on that date, however.

Katie Martin, a GHS teacher, said that she and her fellow teachers have heard everything from a closure next year to a 15-year transition plan for the school.

“With all of us, that creates uncertainty,” she said.

According to a statement from MSCS, it appears that students may have misunderstood the true meaning of the July 1 date which is when the law preventing MSCS from operating schools located in another district goes into effect. If MSCS wants to continue operating them, the district and Germantown have to come to an agreement by January as mentioned previously.

But, coming to agreement might not necessarily end with GHS staying open. 

The Daily Memphian previously reported that Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare has expressed interest in purchasing the campus to expand the footprint of its nearby Germantown location. 

State Rep. Mark White, R-Memphis, said in July that late last year, before he introduced the legislation that is now forcing the two entities to come to an agreement, there were discussions between the hospital system and MSCS.

“I’m hoping between now and December (2022), that might be something Memphis-Shelby County Schools and Methodist work out if that’s what they want to do,” White said at the time.

Methodist would not confirm if it was pursuing the site but said in a statement that the dispute was between MSCS and Germantown and does not impact Methodist.

MSCS board member Kevin Woods, who represents GHS, struck down the idea of the school closing next year entirely, making clear that there are no plans for that to happen.

“We are committed to keeping students as well as employees at those schools for the foreseeable future. That date extends well beyond July 1,” he said.

In the email, MSCS echoed those sentiments but also said that alternatively, if students aren’t able to stay in the school, that the district hopes it could build a new one, although doing so could be costly. The district said the last high school built in Shelby County cost well over $85 million. 

“We hope an agreement can be reached before that date that keeps our students in their school or provides enough upfront funding and time to construct the type of building our students deserve,” MSCS said. 

Abigail Warren contributed to this story.