Less than a week after approving a tuition requirement for open enrollment of students who live outside Germantown, the Germantown Municipal Schools board reversed course.

In a special meeting, Friday, March 7, three of the five school board members voted to rescind the earlier open enrollment policy with the tuition requirement of $200 a year per student and replace it with an open enrollment policy without any tuition requirement.

The board reversed its action because of concerns that the tuition requirement might run afoul of a negotiated settlement that ended the part of the Memphis Federal Court lawsuit contesting the creation of the suburban school districts.

The settlements between each suburban school system, Shelby County Schools and the Shelby County Commission as well as legislative bodies in all seven cities are still awaiting the approval of U.S. District Judge Samuel “Hardy” Mays who also has a pending motion before him to dismiss that part of the suit in lieu of the settlements.

The school board voted 3-2 in favor of the tuition requirement Monday, March 3, despite Germantown superintendent Jason Manuel recommending an open enrollment policy without tuition.