TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Mar 19, 2025

Legislation proposing state intervention in Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) passed its first hurdle in the Tennessee House's K-12 Education Subcommittee Tuesday morning, the Commercial Appeal reports. The bill now moves to the full Education Committee though no date for consideration has been set. The bill, if enacted, would establish a state-appointed board to assume control of school systems in four specific situations: when 30% of student grades are D or F, when the district falls into the bottom 5% of statewide performance, when there is 25% chronic absenteeism rate for students or when a vote of no confidence is taken by the local government body. Sponsor Rep. Mark White, R-Memphis, says he has been working on the proposal for two years and believes the move is in the best fiscal interest of the state due to the amount of money provided to MSCS.