A Look Back on 20 Years of Data
The American Community Survey (ACS) recently released aggregate data from 2020-2024, marking the fourth time that they have released aggregate data for five-year periods. With this new trove of data to study, we thought it would be interesting to take a look back at how Memphis has changed in key statistical areas over the last 20 years.
Early Voting Begins
A conference committee was appointed to hash out the differences between the House and Senate versions of a bill that would appoint a board of managers to oversee Memphis-Shelby County Schools.
Additionally, early voting has begun! For a list of polling locations and times, please see this link. You can vote at any early voting location on the list, even if it is not your regular polling location or in your part of town. You can find more information on the candidates or offices on the ballot on the Shelby County Election Commission’s website.
How Do We Solve Population Decline?
Last month, Mayor Paul Young broke with the tradition observed by recent mayors of Memphis by acknowledging the fact that the city’s population is in steady decline. Now, a new state law could change the way sales tax revenue is allocated to municipalities based on what proportion of Tennesseans live there.
Population loss affects more than sales tax revenue: it also means less revenue in property taxes and fewer patrons for local businesses. So what do we do about this?
Mobility = Mobility
MATA has officially extended its fare-free pilot through March 31, with further expansion beyond that possible as well. The city council also approved a measure to reallocate millions of dollars from the Bus Rapid Transit system to shore up MATA’s existing operations.
MATA has long been underfunded compared to the need across Memphis. Ridership has dwindled as routes have been cut, and access has been hard to achieve for our sprawling city. Without physical mobility, we will never achieve economic mobility, so how do we fix Memphis’ public transit?
What is the best way to handle school closures?
The Memphis-Shelby County Schools Board voted to approve the closure of five schools, in line with the recommendation of Superintendent Roderick Richmond. According to the Daily Memphian, three of the closures were not discussed during the meeting and were approved unanimously, while two received more pushback.
In this update, we discuss what makes for a successful school transition, what the research shows us about the impact of closures, and how families can best navigate the change.