School Board Approves Revised Rezoning Plan

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School Board Considers Revised Rezoning Plan

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Metro's Board of Education approved a revised school district rezoning plan hours after leaders of the Nashville branch of the NAACP rallied for an alternative plan.

Nashville's school board approved a plan to rezone the district with a 5-4 vote Tuesday night.

School board members heard the recommendation of a community task force on the issue. The task force was established to come up with a plan. Members said the school system should close four schools and return to a more community based form of education to save money and to improve participation in schools.

The task force worked for six months on the plan with plenty of community input. The most recent meeting was held in late June.

But several board members thought the plan needed more review and changes in some school clusters so they asked for a two-week deferral on the vote.

The controversial topic led to heated moment between board members and among the audience and the school board.

Many opponents feel the measure would re-segregate the school district.

Board members David Fox, Karen Johnson, Steve Glover, Mark North and Marsha Warden voted for the plan. Joann Brannon, Board vice chair Ed Kindall, George Thompson and Gracie Porter voted against it.

"I think it's bad that we have a situation where we have a 5-4 decision on an issue that is this important," Kindall said. "It really divides the community."

"You're going back through segregation and we've been through that," said Fenecia Briggance, a concerned grandparent. "That's what I went to school - through segregation. And that's the same thing going on now."

At Tuesday's meeting, board members also discussed the reorganization of some of the school district's central office staff and functions. The corrective action is aimed at putting Nashville's public school system back on track.

The Tennessee Department of Education outlined how it will reorganize the district's leadership for the coming school year as part of the No Child Left Behind Act.

If a district such as Metro doesn't make the grade, the state can come in and make changes, which it is doing.

The state has started with the Metro Schools administration.