Humes Middle School set to close at the end of the school year
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Humes Middle School will close its doors at the end of the school year following a notice released on Facebook by the principal Freddie Thomas on Wednesday.
Humes is a historic landmark a part of the Frayser Community School system, overseen by Memphis Shelby County Schools. A sign on the property says Elvis Presley attended school there.
The notice alerted families of the closure and offered alternatives for next year. But some families say the best solution is to keep the school open.
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Some parents are saying that closing it down would be a disservice to the children and the entire community.
Cassandra Price is shocked and upset to hear Humes Middle School, where her 8th grade son attends, will close at the end of the school year.
“If you don’t have a school in the community, what do you have? Nothing,” she said. “I’m sure it’s going to be a little upsetting for me because this is my route every day, and now we got to find a whole new school. And I don’t know where.”
In the letter sent to parents, Principal Thomas says the decision came from MSCS and urges families to send their kids to Westside Middle School in Frayser.
The letter does not go into the reason for the closure, but the school does have a history of low scores and attendance.
Community members say Humes is a staple in the community.
“This school is a legend, it’s an accent to the neighborhood, it needs to stay here as a reminder for people that drive by and slow down and look at it and reminisce about what was done here for the kids in this neighborhood,” said Dorothy Starks, a community member.
The school opened in the 1930s and is marked as a historic landmark in the city. Their most well known alum is Elvis Presley, who graduated in 1953.
“They’ve produced some children that got good jobs, and positions in life, not just here in the city but all over the United States. We’ve got young people who went to college, but they never forgot the neighborhood that they came from,” said Starks.
WREG has reached out to Frayser Community Schools and MSCS but has not yet heard back.
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