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The Memphis school board is considering whether to accept a donation from Elon Musk’s nonprofit to fund repairs for three schools in Frayser that could receive more students next year due to recommended closures.
If approved by the Memphis-Shelby County Schools board next Tuesday, the donation from The Musk Foundation would be the second accepted this school year from an entity tied to Musk, the technology and auto executive who aims to build a third data center in the Memphis area despite concerns about increased pollution.
The board approved a donation from Musk’s artificial-intelligence company xAI in July to fix four schools in Southwest Memphis located near its existing data centers, prompting some student backlash.
Board members said then that the district couldn’t afford to turn money down, with total school facility costs estimated at over $1.6 billion in the next decade. Some district leaders echoed that reasoning on Tuesday in support of approving the donation from The Musk Foundation.
“I’d like to point out, as they help us to refurbish and to improve some of our schools, it frees up capital dollars for us to do things at some of our other schools,” interim Superintendent Roderick Richmond said.
Board member Keith Williams, who was an outspoken opponent of the xAI partnership, pushed back against accepting another Musk-linked donation Tuesday.
“There are ramifications that are deeper than money,” he said.
It’s still unclear how much money the xAI donation approved in July will bring to the district in total, but repair costs for those four buildings are estimated at around $61 million. As for the proposed Musk Foundation contribution, a posting on the board’s agenda website early Tuesday listed the “high-level estimate” at $6 million. That figure has since been deleted.
The cost and type of building repairs needed at the three Frayser elementary schools — Whitney, Westside, and Hawkins Mill — are still being determined, the district’s facility services officer, Michelle Stuart, said Tuesday. A previous agenda listed roof, HVAC, and intercom system replacements as priorities.
Those three elementary schools may be tapped to absorb displaced students if the board approves recommendations to close the Frayser-Corning and Georgian Hills elementary schools at the end of this school year.
Stuart said Tuesday that the district should determine full cost estimates for the xAI-funded projects approved in July by the end of this week. The district is still developing separate contracts for each school’s larger projects, like HVAC and roof replacements, which Stuart said are 75% done.
The xAI funds have already helped complete some less extensive projects that don’t require contracts, Stuart said, like replacing fencing and painting parking lots.
The Musk Foundation is also proposing to spend $200,000 to support students experiencing homelessness, including providing laundry and hygiene items. It also set aside $100,000 to incentivize student attendance and behavioral improvements.
Bri Hatch covers Memphis-Shelby County Schools for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Reach Bri at bhatch@chalkbeat.org.
