Shelby County Chancellor Joe Day L. Jenkins reportedly blocked the Tennessee takeover of Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) on Monday with a bench order issued just days after U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw dissolved his order that had blocked the state-appointed Education Oversight Board from meeting until earlier this month.
Jenkins reportedly made the decision minutes before the board’s second October meeting was scheduled, Chalkbeat reported, noting that the Shelby County plaintiffs argued the MSCS school district did not meet the law’s qualifications for a takeover and that the district would be irreparably harmed by allowing it to proceed.
The oversight board website shows the virtual board meeting previously scheduled for 1 p.m. on Monday was canceled, and the outlet reported that board Chairman Billy Orgel said the meeting was canceled just 10 minutes before it was scheduled to occur.
After the chancellor’s bench order reportedly blocked the takeover, Orgel said in a statement reported by Action News 5, “We just want to get to work and help raise the outcomes for all of the students in MCSC and help create a community that is growing and thriving.”
Jenkins, who has served since 2016, was assigned to the case after the previous chancellor recused herself, citing a potential conflict.
Under Tennessee’s new law, an oversight board may be established for a school district where at least 50 percent of students score below grade-level expectations on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP), and at least 30 percent of schools in the district must receive D or F rankings from the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE).
Districts must also have chronic absenteeism among at least 25 percent of their student body, have at least one school given priority status by TDOE, and be the subject of a lack-of-confidence vote by the local government that oversees the district.
Oversight boards must have nine members: five appointed by Tennessee’s governor, two by the Lt. Governor, and two by the State House Speaker. The board members created to take over MSCS were appointed in May.
If the courts allow it, Tennessee state law will give the board authority to approve or reject budgets, hire and fire superintendent candidates, approve or deny contracts, and act on suggestions from third-party auditors.
An audit of MSCS by the Tennessee Comptroller’s office identified $100 million in suspicious spending earlier this year.
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Tom Pappert is a 2025 recipient of the Dao Prize and the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star. He also reports for the Star News Network. Follow Tom on X. Email tips to [email protected].
