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Local Government

Coverage, analysis, and reporting on local government across Tennessee.

38 articles
Rep. Warner’s Quarry Lake Project Rejected by Marshall County Board Following Outcry of ‘Destroying’ Neighbors’ Homes
Local Government

Rep. Warner’s Quarry Lake Project Rejected by Marshall County Board Following Outcry of ‘Destroying’ Neighbors’ Homes

OCT 9, 2025 | Firefly Staff

The project, already underway at 3429 Verona Caney Road in Lewisburg, has come under scrutiny for originally being approved for agricultural use, despite attend...

Tennessee Teachers Oppose Classroom Cellphone Use but Are Interested in Artificial Intelligence, Survey Finds
State Education

Tennessee Teachers Oppose Classroom Cellphone Use but Are Interested in Artificial Intelligence, Survey Finds

AUG 12, 2025 | Katerine Gerasimenko

A new statewide poll of Tennessee teachers found many remain skeptical of cellphone use at school.

Spotlight: Nashville Chamber CEO Stephanie Coleman Advances Public Education Through Civic Leadership
Local Government

Spotlight: Nashville Chamber CEO Stephanie Coleman Advances Public Education Through Civic Leadership

AUG 6, 2025 | Katerine Gerasimenko

When Stephanie Coleman became president and CEO of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce in February 2025, she brought with her a clear vision for the organiza...

Bill locking in local primaries passes House vote despite pushback from some Republicans
Elections

Bill locking in local primaries passes House vote despite pushback from some Republicans

APR 15, 2025 | Alison Nickas

Legislation that prevents Tennessee counties from switching to a caucus for local partisan elections passed a House vote Monday and now heads to Governor Bill L...

Hurricane Helene recovery will be costly, but Governor Lee isn’t interested in using voucher money to fund it
State Education

Hurricane Helene recovery will be costly, but Governor Lee isn’t interested in using voucher money to fund it

OCT 10, 2024 | Sky Arnold

When Tennessee Governor Bill Lee unveiled the details of the $100 million Helene Emergency Assistance Loans (HEAL) Program in a press conference Thursday aftern...

Rutherford County Schools approves book ban policy revisions
Local Education

Rutherford County Schools approves book ban policy revisions

AUG 9, 2024 | Brandon Paykamian

The Rutherford County school board unanimously voted to approve revisions to district policy regarding the removal of books with sexual or inappropriate themes ...

Whitehaven STEM lab project remains behind schedule due to funding woes
Local Education

Whitehaven STEM lab project remains behind schedule due to funding woes

AUG 8, 2024 | Brandon Paykamian

Shelby County Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. called on local officials to work together and figure out how to cover the remaining costs needed to construct a new ...

Memphis selects new school board members, Democrats dominate Nashville, Republicans maintain control in Knox County
Data and Polling

Memphis selects new school board members, Democrats dominate Nashville, Republicans maintain control in Knox County

AUG 2, 2024 | Brandon Paykamian

Thursday's election results are bringing major changes to school boards representing the state's largest school districts.Families with children attending Knox ...

Tennessee Democrats quick to support Kamala Harris' presidential bid. A popular VP pick has history with school vouchers.
Elections

Tennessee Democrats quick to support Kamala Harris' presidential bid. A popular VP pick has history with school vouchers.

JUL 23, 2024 | Brandon Paykamian

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has a history with an issue Tennessee Democrats have spent the last year opposing.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools personnel plan paused by school board
Local Education

Memphis-Shelby County Schools personnel plan paused by school board

JUN 12, 2024 | Brandon Paykamian

The Memphis-Shelby County Schools Board of Education passed a resolution during a special meeting Tuesday asking Superintendent Marie Feagins to halt further la...

Williamson County House candidates weigh in on education funding, book bans and DEI
Elections

Williamson County House candidates weigh in on education funding, book bans and DEI

JUN 11, 2024 | Brandon Paykamian

Candidates running for Tennessee House District 65 discussed their views on state education funding, banning inappropriate books in K-12 schools and how they th...

Local Education

Knox County school board fails to pass policy change banning books depicting sexual imagery

JUN 10, 2024 | Brandon Paykamian

A proposal to ban books depicting sexual imagery in Knox County Schools failed in a 4-2 vote. The board discussed compliance with a new state law set to take ef...

Elon Musk's xAI to build world's largest supercomputer in Memphis
Local Education

Elon Musk's xAI to build world's largest supercomputer in Memphis

JUN 5, 2024 | Brandon Paykamian

Elon Musk’s AI company xAI is planning to build the world’s largest supercomputer in Memphis, Tennessee, marking the city’s largest capital investment by a new-...

House district candidates weigh in on private school vouchers and property taxes
Local Education

House district candidates weigh in on private school vouchers and property taxes

JUN 5, 2024 | Brandon Paykamian

The proposal to allow Tennessee families to use public dollars to send their children to private school proved to be a topic of disagreement for three candidate...

Knox County school board discusses banning books with sexual content
Local Education

Knox County school board discusses banning books with sexual content

JUN 4, 2024 | Brandon Paykamian

Knox County Board of Education officials discussed banning books that depict sex at Monday’s school board work session.

Metro Nashville Public Schools outlines alternative learning redesign plans
Local Education

Metro Nashville Public Schools outlines alternative learning redesign plans

MAY 29, 2024 | Brandon Paykamian

Metro Nashville Public Schools' alternative learning centers, or ALCs, will provide students with support "every step of the way" under redesign plans unveiled ...

Memphis-Shelby County Schools officials promise staff won't lose their jobs under district reorganization plan
Local Education

Memphis-Shelby County Schools officials promise staff won't lose their jobs under district reorganization plan

MAY 29, 2024 | Brandon Paykamian

Memphis Shelby County School Board members and Superintendent Marie Feagins addressed concerns about the school system’s plans to reorganize district personnel ...

Clarksville-Montgomery school board discusses reading proficiency requirements, arming teachers and COVID-19 relief funding
Local Education

Clarksville-Montgomery school board discusses reading proficiency requirements, arming teachers and COVID-19 relief funding

MAY 28, 2024 | Brandon Paykamian

Clarksville-Montgomery County School Board discussed reading proficiency requirements, the decision not to arm teachers, and the impact of COVID-19 relief fundi...

Sumner County Schools approves staff pay raises
Local Education

Sumner County Schools approves staff pay raises

MAY 24, 2024 | Brandon Paykamian

As Sumner County dries out, commissioners who rejected flood prevention funds are working to elect Senate challenger Chris Spencer
Elections

As Sumner County dries out, commissioners who rejected flood prevention funds are working to elect Senate challenger Chris Spencer

MAY 23, 2024 | Sky Arnold

On May 8 floodwaters rushed into Sumner County, damaging property, and forcing emergency crews to execute dozens of water rescues.The storm also washed up new c...

Williamson County students plead for art teacher pay raises
Local Education

Williamson County students plead for art teacher pay raises

APR 16, 2024 | Brandon Paykamian

The arts can be a place where students find community and acceptance as they navigate through their school years.Some students in Williamson County worry the ar...

Davidson County residents plead with school board members to reconsider proposed restrictions on public comment
Local Government

Davidson County residents plead with school board members to reconsider proposed restrictions on public comment

MAR 28, 2024 | Brandon Paykamian

Parents and teachers say a proposal to place new restrictions on public comment at Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) Board of Education meetings will silenc...

Mayor O’Connell tells business leaders past transportation failures shouldn’t be a concern with Choose How You Move
Local Government

Mayor O’Connell tells business leaders past transportation failures shouldn’t be a concern with Choose How You Move

MAR 26, 2024 | Brandon Paykamian

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell says a walk to school event he attended last month at Paragon Mills Elementary School in honor of civil rights activist Ruby B...

School districts received nine applications for new public charter schools. A new tool puts each under the microscope.
Local Government

School districts received nine applications for new public charter schools. A new tool puts each under the microscope.

MAR 25, 2024 | Sky Arnold

This year nine potential charter operators met the February 1 deadline to file an application to open a new public charter school.School board members in Memphi...

Tennessee lawmakers mislead public while attacking plan to provide students of color with better school facilities
Local Government

Tennessee lawmakers mislead public while attacking plan to provide students of color with better school facilities

FEB 20, 2024 | Sky Arnold

Tennessee State Representative Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, logged on to social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, at 10 PM Friday night to produce a ...

House advances plan to help make vacant property available to public charter schools
Local Education

House advances plan to help make vacant property available to public charter schools

FEB 8, 2024 | Sky Arnold

Members of the House Education Administration Committee advanced proposed legislation Wednesday to help public charter schools access school buildings that are ...

Paul Young will be Memphis’ next mayor. What will that mean for education?
Local Government

Paul Young will be Memphis’ next mayor. What will that mean for education?

OCT 6, 2023 | Sky Arnold

Downtown Memphis Commission leader Paul Young will be Memphis’ next mayor, a position that gives him no formal authority over Memphis-Shelby County Schools, but...

Nashville mayoral candidates to face off in education focused debate
Local Education

Nashville mayoral candidates to face off in education focused debate

AUG 15, 2023 | Sky Arnold

Nashville mayoral candidates Freddie O’Connell and Alice Rolli have taken part in numerous debates in the last few months but education hasn’t always played a l...

Nashville votes to send Jones back to Tennessee House
Local Government

Nashville votes to send Jones back to Tennessee House

APR 10, 2023 | Sky Arnold

Without objection, the council suspended its rules to immediately nominate and approve Jones to fill the District 52 seat as Jones sat in the gallery.

Tennessee 3rd-grade retention law will intensify Memphis students’ pandemic woes, local critics say
Local Government

Tennessee 3rd-grade retention law will intensify Memphis students’ pandemic woes, local critics say

FEB 22, 2023 | Sky Arnold

Many Memphis youths are already struggling to overcome emotional and psychological trauma inflicted or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.But the specter of b...

Memphis-Shelby County Schools seeking input from parents on the upcoming budget
Local Government

Memphis-Shelby County Schools seeking input from parents on the upcoming budget

JAN 31, 2023 | Sky Arnold

As Tennessee’s largest district moves into the second half of the 2022-23 school year, Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) is seeking feedback from the communi...

Shelby County Commission approves pact to transfer ‘three G’ schools to Germantown
Local Education

Shelby County Commission approves pact to transfer ‘three G’ schools to Germantown

DEC 15, 2022 | Sky Arnold

The Shelby County Commission Wednesday moved closer to resolving a decade-old dispute over control of three schools in Germantown, approving a deal that would, ...

Titans offer to help Nashville high schools get new athletic fields
Local Education

Titans offer to help Nashville high schools get new athletic fields

NOV 16, 2022 | Sky Arnold

Nashville Mayor John Cooper announced a plan Wednesday to provide every district run public high school athletic program with new or improved sports fields.The ...

Student homelessness in Memphis-Shelby County Schools more than doubles
Local Education

Student homelessness in Memphis-Shelby County Schools more than doubles

NOV 15, 2022 | Sky Arnold

Homelessness among Memphis-Shelby County Schools students has hit its highest level in at least four years, more than doubling from the same time last year.New ...

Nation’s Report Card finds Tennessee students mirroring nationwide decline
Local Government

Nation’s Report Card finds Tennessee students mirroring nationwide decline

OCT 24, 2022 | Sky Arnold

Despite promising scores in this year’s Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP), Tennessee students continue to show the same signs of learning loss a...

Charter Commission ends appeal cycle by overturning Metro Nashville Public Schools again
Local Government

Charter Commission ends appeal cycle by overturning Metro Nashville Public Schools again

OCT 19, 2022 | Sky Arnold

The Tennessee Public Charter School Commission approved the Tennessee Nature Academy in a 5-3 vote, overturning MNPS's rejection. Several other charter school a...

Tennessee graduation rates exceed pre-pandemic levels
Local Government

Tennessee graduation rates exceed pre-pandemic levels

SEP 30, 2022 | Sky Arnold

MSCS board Chair Michelle McKissack is mulling a 2023 mayoral run
Local Government

MSCS board Chair Michelle McKissack is mulling a 2023 mayoral run

SEP 19, 2022 | Sky Arnold

Michelle McKissack, the recently reelected chairwoman of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools board, announced Monday she is mulling a run to become the city’s nex...

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