Shelby County commissioners, meeting in committee Wednesday, forwarded without recommendation a resolution asking Shelby County Schools to conduct a salary study to determine SCS employees who do not make at least $15 an hour.

The resolution was sent to the full County Commission without amendments by the education committee.

Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr., an ex-math teacher, sponsored the resolution. Ford calculated SCS’s cost to institute a $15-an-hour pay mandate could cost $25 million.

In a related matter, the general government committee approved on third reading an ordinance that establishes a minimum living wage of $15 an hour for other county workers.

On the school study, Ford noted that earlier discussions about the minimum pay only looked at 668 nutritional services support workers and not the entire 3,162 SCS employees. The total figure includes 2,494 employees, such as substitute teachers and campus monitors, who also make under $15 an hour.

It’s an issue, Ford said, that has not being “fully vetted.”

“If we’re going to have the conversation, you include everybody, not just one class of folks,” Ford said.

Still, some commissioners believe the resolution was outside the commission’s authority.

“The school board, they’re elected officials and they answer to their constituents,” said Commissioner Amber Mills, a sentiment echoed by Commissioner Reginald Milton.

Mills likened it to the resolution from the commission that asked the SCS board to conduct a national search for a superintendent, which she also thought was the school board’s responsibility.

“And so, with this, though I agree with a lot of it, I will not be voting for it because I feel like it’s once again us stepping out of our lane, telling other elected officials how to do their job,” she said.

In fact, the study is already underway and is being prepared for the school board, Patrice Thomas, SCS chief of staff, told the commissioners during the meeting.

That led Morrison to ask if the resolution was needed. She proposed an amendment to the resolution to include impact on pensions.

Another amendment requested by school board member Stephanie Love would include the suburban municipal school districts in the study resolution, Ford said.

The full commission will consider the resolution Aug. 26.