House Speaker says Tennessee may audit Memphis-Shelby County Schools for fraud in addition other state intervention

The district’s own independent audit of the 2022/2023 school year released last year produced no findings indicating financial weaknesses or issues of non-compliance on financial statements.¶

Organization formed to fight intervention¶

Lawmakers haven’t been the only ones planning ahead for potential state intervention. Last month a new organization known as Save Our Students 901 held a press conference in Memphis to announce its intentions to oppose the proposal.¶

The organization describes itself as a local coalition of Memphis business, education, nonprofit, and faith leaders “standing together against state intrusion.”¶

Golden Gate Cathedral of Memphis Bishop Ed Stephens was among the speakers at the press conference. He said state takeovers of school districts elsewhere have disrupted learning and failed to close achievement gaps.¶

“We are at a pivotal moment in our history faced by a proposed state takeover of our local school district. This is not just a policy decision it’s a direct assault on our community’s value, our voices and the very future of our children. Let’s be clear, this takeover mirrors for us a troubling trend sweeping across the United States of America,” said Stephens. “We must ask ourselves who benefits from this power grab. It certainly is not our students.”¶

The General Assembly’s deadline to file new legislation has passed so any effort to pass intervention in MSCS would need to be filed as an amendment to existing legislation.¶

Though some criticized the proposal as duplicative of 2025 legislation, the ban addresses an important nuance in the law.