Memphis-Shelby County Schools changed its plan for all third graders to retake the statewide exam days before summer break. 

The appointment leaves a vacancy in the 9th Congressional District seat on the State Board of Education, which has an increasingly large role to play in setting the standards for success at Tennessee schools.

As we prepare to go into our new work week, it’s with summer on our minds. 

To succeed under Tennessee’s takeover metrics, appointees to the Memphis schools oversight board will likely focus on the district’s lowest-performing schools. Experts say that could result in tremendous academic growth for poor students — or closures of their schools.

High school students are becoming more intentional and more financially focused in choosing the college they will attend.

As the suburbs of Shelby County dissect their annual budgets for the coming fiscal years, there are many factors to consider, including schools and their financial plans.

Data indicates that relatively few lower-income families applied or were eligible to participate in the program.

Bartlett City Schools is considering its annual fiscal year budget with a bump in salaries while trying to work on expensive special education programs.

Germantown Municipal School District believes it is being shortchanged in the amount of money it has been given by the suburb. It holds that residents voted for the school district to receive more funds annually, as property values increase.

South Memphis charter schools Believe Memphis Academy and Memphis Delta Preparatory Charter School each received a Tennessee “priority” designation for low performance earlier this school year. 

The contract extension for attorney Justin Bailey would keep him employed with the district for at least three more years. 

Enrollment is trending downward across Shelby County’s suburban schools, and that impacts funding as the municipal districts are finalizing their budgets.

Hart Roper will succeed Pete Sanders, who announced in January that he would retire at the end of the 2026-2027 school year.

UTHSC is in better financial position than in recent years — in June 2023, there was a $55 million structural deficit. By the end of June, a surplus of $35.6 million is expected.

For some students, improved scores could excuse them from summer school and tutoring interventions required by a state reading retention law.

EpicenterU, a partnership between Epicenter, Arkansas State University and the Delta Regional Authority, will provide about $812,000 in grant funding for student entrepreneurs. 

As a state takeover looms, voters retained two Memphis-Shelby County Schools incumbents seeking re-election, according to unofficial election results from the board’s first-ever partisan primaries held Tuesday, May 5.

Shelby County commissioners voted to take money from county reserve funds to pay the possible cost of suing the state over a pending state takeover of Memphis-Shelby County Schools.

St. Mary’s officially has a replacement for when current head Albert Throckmorton retires. 

While Lausanne is growing its physical campus, adding nontraditional learning environments, officials say the East Memphis private school isn’t looking to increase enrollment.

The commission will try again on a resolution to provide county funding for a legal challenge of the state’s pending takeover of Memphis-Shelby County Schools.

Since Tennessee Republicans passed the takeover bill last week, community response has been muted. Some say that’s because there’s no recourse, but a district lawsuit could be on the horizon.

In part two of our podcast about the takeover, reporter Laura Testino returns to talk about how churn factors in, what we can take from the school system takeover in Houston and what role school closures and land sales might play. 

The board talked about charter schools, contracts and a response to the state audit at what may have been the final meeting before a state oversight board is appointed.

Collierville Schools officials are expecting less funding due to a decline in enrollment.