Shelby County
Spending in MSCS-takeover suit nears county’s limit
A Shelby County Board of Commissioners decision to continue funding the litigation could coincide with a major milestone in the Chancery Court case.
Laura Testino
There are 389 articles by Laura Testino :
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October 2026
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Shelby County -
Update
EducationMSCS takeover paused again
Tennessee’s takeover of Memphis-Shelby County Schools has been paused again.
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EducationTakeover consultant wants MSCS to have a ‘transformational superintendent’ hired by December
None of the nine state appointees poised to take control of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools system will say whether they intend to act on the superintendent hiring timeline included in documents most of them voted to accept.
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EducationState takeover of MSCS can proceed, judge rules
U.S. District Court Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw Jr. lifted an earlier block on the State of Tennessee’s takeover of Memphis-Shelby County Schools.
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EducationAfter 1 meeting, MSCS takeover board ready to go, chair says
Takeover board Chair Billy Orgel’s sworn statement is expected to lift a three-month hold on the state’s takeover of Memphis-Shelby County Schools. But its unclear if the board’s new plans will capture all expenses it should review under state law.
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Education Donor-funded consultant helped ready Memphis school takeover board during pause
A consulting firm that worked with Houston’s school system during its takeover has quietly played a key role in readying the state-appointed board to resume control of Memphis-Shelby County Schools.
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Education MSCS asks another court to halt takeover in new suit
Attorneys for Memphis-Shelby County Schools and Shelby County government filed a new lawsuit in Shelby County Chancery Court
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Education MSCS takeover board to reconvene Thursday
The meeting comes less than a week after a judge said he “didn’t mean to imply” the oversight board couldn’t do its work with a July 1 order, which MSCS and the state interpreted as a temporary halt.
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Education MSCS takeover could resume when board is ‘ready,’ judge rules
How the oversight board determines what “ready” means could revive early criticisms from MSCS that the appointees lacked necessary structures to assume power over the school system.
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EducationJudge says he never meant to pause MSCS takeover
It is unclear what the judge’s clarification from the bench on Friday, Oct. 2, may mean for control of Tennessee’s largest school system.
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September 2026
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EducationMSCS board picks new chair as takeover challenge looms
Amid Tennessee takeover uncertainty, Memphis-Shelby County Schools’ elected board picked new leadership and added its 10th member: a student from Middle College High.
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Education Will MSCS takeover remain paused? Federal court could soon decide
Arguments in the case are expected to determine whether the takeover remains paused or whether the new state-appointed board of nine regains control over Memphis-Shelby County Schools.
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EducationMemphis Lift, Seeding Success join Tennessee’s legal defense of MSCS takeover
“The MSCS system is in crisis,” attorneys for Memphis Lift, Seeding Success and three family members of Memphis-Shelby County Schools students wrote.
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August 2026
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Public Safety Tennessee National Guard members halt patrols Friday for ‘administrative work,’ Marshals Service says
The Tennessee National Guard remains deployed as part of the Memphis Safe Task Force, according to Gov. Bill Lee’s office. Lee commands deployment of the state’s guard.
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Education TCAP results 2026: See how your Memphis-area school scored
Search The Daily Memphian’s chart to see how Memphis and Shelby County public schools scored, and whether they improved from last year.
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Education All MSCS campuses reopen for students Thursday
School is reopening to all Memphis-Shelby County Schools students as Memphis Light, Gas and Water approaches its target date for power restoration.
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Education 10 MSCS schools to remain closed Wednesday due to power outages
Memphis-Shelby County Schools officials said persistent power outages are forcing some schools to remain closed.
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EducationMSCS keeps 19 campuses closed Tuesday due to lingering power outages
Families of students who attend the 19 closed schools can receive free meals on Tuesday. Food will be available at each closed campus between noon and 2 p.m., through a partnership with the YMCA.
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EducationExclusive: Legal fees mount in MSCS takeover lawsuit
Memphis-Shelby County Schools’ court challenge of the state’s takeover of the school system has cost at least $211,700 in legal fees, according to MSCS and Shelby County government officials.
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Education MSCS closes all campuses Monday due to storm-related power outages
All Memphis-Shelby County Schools campuses will close Monday, Aug. 24, due to a destructive weekend storm. Collierville Schools delayed start times Monday, but no other suburban school systems had changed schedules.
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2026 elections
ElectionsVoters elect four Democrats in first partisan MSCS board election
No Republicans ran for the Memphis school board seats on the ballot. Democratic nominees bested independent challengers in races for two open seats, while two incumbents on the board secured their victories in May’s primary races.
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EducationHow a team sports-based school wants to make ‘alternative’ education an ‘opportunity’ in Memphis
New York City-based Urban Dove, a charter school organization, won approval to open two campuses in Memphis. Tennessee’s new ‘opportunity’ charter schools seek to reshape what education can look like for students who have fallen behind because of attendance, academics or behavior.
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Education First day of school 2026: Major changes for 5,000 Memphis students
District leaders kicked off the school year with a four-campus tour Monday, Aug. 3, stopping at three schools among the roughly 5,000 students affected by summer closures, consolidations and a district return.
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MSCS school year begins with takeover still paused in court battle
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Education MSCS school year begins with takeover still paused in court battle
The takeover remains on a federal court-ordered pause issued after the board had met for about two weeks. Meanwhile, school closures, mergers and relocations mean big changes for about 5,000 Memphis students returning to class.
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July 2026
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EducationSpaceXAI offered major construction upgrades to Memphis schools. What happened?
Fairley High students and athletes have emerged as the early — and only — major beneficiaries of a list of construction projects Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company offered to the Memphis school system last July.
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Calkins: It’s time for SpaceXAI to live up to its promise to Memphis kids
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