Beat
Memphis-Shelby County Schools is the largest school district in Tennessee, governed by an elected board and a roughly $1.7 billion budget. This beat tracks the schools budget, board decisions, and the state's push toward oversight and a possible takeover of the district.
UT Knoxville just advanced a $227M business building and a national security center, while Memphis still fights over what gets funded and who pays. The question for Shelby County: why is Knoxville building ahead while 901 keeps arguing over basics?
The 901 Report
Gov. Bill Lee’s Education Freedom Scholarship Act is now a live fight for Memphis families, and the real stakes are who gets paid first when state dollars move. MSCS and Shelby County voters need the receipts, not the slogans.
The 901 Report
Gov. Bill Lee just turned Memphis schools over to a nine-member state board of Republican appointees. That means Shelby County’s largest district is entering a new power structure - and families need to know who will be held accountable when decisions land.
The 901 Report
Gov. Bill Lee’s Education Freedom Scholarship Act is now a live fight for Memphis families, not a talking point. The question for Shelby County is simple: who gets paid first when the state redirects education money?
The 901 Report
MSCS has put a $1.7 billion budget on the table for 2026-27, and the new state-appointed board is walking into the hardest question in city schools: what gets cut, what gets protected, and who owns the fallout?
The 901 Report
Memphis-Shelby County Schools has put forward a $1.7 billion budget for 2026-27 as a new state-appointed board prepares to take over. The proposal puts funding choices, staffing, and school stability back under a microscope.
The 901 Report