For at least a decade, T.Y. Fleming Elementary School has been tugged between the forces of economics and education.
Economics won out last week when the Leflore County School Board voted unanimously to close the tiny Minter City school at the end of the summer.
It seems such a shame. T.Y. Fleming has consistently been one of the higher-performing schools in Mississippi on state-mandated tests. For years it has been rated a Level 5 school, the state’s top ranking. A couple of years ago, it was one of only three schools in Mississippi — and one of 250 nationwide — to be named a Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education.
Fleming’s accomplishments have been all the more remarkable because its success defies the norm. These are kids who come predominantly from rural, impoverished, black homes. That combination is supposed to be a predictor of academic failure, as it is in the majority of public schools in the Delta. Fleming, though, refutes those low expectations, and it has done so year after year.
Other schools have studied Fleming to try to figure out its secrets. The list of reasons doesn’t sound very magical. Veteran, dedicated teachers. A supportive administrative. A close-knit community. Staying on task.
But one of its greatest assets — its small size — has also led to its pending closure. Small classrooms make learning easier because they allow the teacher to give students more individual attention. Small classrooms are especially helpful for children who start off behind and whose parents may not have gotten very far in school.
The dilemma is, though, that small classes are expensive. The smaller the pupil-to-teacher ratio, the more it costs. Small classes are a luxury that most cash-strapped school districts such as Leflore County can’t afford. The state doesn’t want to pay for them either. The pressure to consolidate has become more intense during the current recession-driven budget crunch.
“During the economic times that we’re looking at right now, the Legislature is looking for any avenues that school districts need to implement to help the picture,” said Doug Segars, business manager for the county school district. “Whatever type of consolidation is done, (lawmakers) are pushing it.”
As much as Fleming’s parents and supporters are angry about the announced closure of the school, this is not an arbitrary decision. Enrollment at the school has been on a steady decline. Over the past 10 years, enrollment has fallen by 42 percent, standing now at just 105 students — an average of just 15 students for each grade at the K-6 school. There’s no reason to think the enrollment drop is going to reverse itself. With few job opportunities in these rural hamlets like Schlater and Minter City, families are steadily moving away from them.
It’s estimated that closing the school will save $250,000 a year on operational costs alone. Although that’s just a little more than 1 percent of the school district’s $19 million state and local budget, it was enough to convince the school board to shut Fleming down.
There is, though, an alternative to closure. Turn Fleming into a charter school.
Mississippi’s current charter school law is set to expire this summer, and lawmakers are working on its reauthorization. It’s almost certain that the new law will allow for more experimentation in the way of charter schools, not less.
Fleming would be a good candidate. The school district wants to give up the school. Fleming already has in place a core group of teachers and administrators who could take it over and, with a board made up of parents and community supporters, run it. The staff, attracted by less bureaucracy and more manageable class sizes, might be enticed to accept lower salaries that are more typical of private schools — thus helping to get the finances in line.
As a charter school, Fleming would be free to accept from anywhere in the county students who might be enticed by the school’s stellar academic reputation. That would beef up enrollment and the public money that follows it. It also would provide a realistic alternative to families whose children are stuck in substandard schools. Fleming could be expanded to go through eighth grade.
The remote location, admittedly, would be an obstacle. Parents, though, will make a 20- to 30-minute trip for a quality education. For those families that can’t arrange their own transportation, centralized pick-up points could be arranged for bus routes.
Will a charter school work at Fleming? There are no guarantees. It’s certainly, however, a better idea than just abandoning success.
