Bill to let state-appointed board control underperforming school districts passes first House hurdle
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A bill that would create a state-appointed board that would all but strip the Memphis-Shelby County Schools board of its power is working its way through the legislature, passing its first House subcommittee Tuesday.
The proposed legislation, sponsored by Rep. Mark White (R-Memphis) targets Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) after 'decades of underperformance,' which came to a head when the school board fired the district's superintendent in late January.
'I bring this not lightly, but I believe it is time that we have some type of intervention because doing what we're doing is not changing, and I'm going back 30 years,' Rep. White said.
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The bill, based on a Texas law, would create a nine-member, state-appointed managing board to manage the school district for at least four years. The board would intervene if at least 30% of a district's schools received a D or F grade from the state, and if the district received a vote of no confidence from another local legislative body, like the county commission.
Under the proposal, the managing board could require a school board to take certain actions under their direction. The managing board would also be required to approve or disapprove the school board's actions.
'You've got to have some type of authority in place to say, 'Here's the direction we're going to march.' If not, we keep on doing the same old things,' Rep. White said.
Dozens of educators and advocates traveled from Memphis to watch the debate in the House K-12 Subcommittee Tuesday.
Ron Redwing, a Memphis business owner and founder of Save Our Schools testified against the bill.
'While we do agree and there is no question, the district needs a makeover, but we do not need a takeover,' Redwing said.
In addition, Democrats argued the bill would override people's right to choose their local leaders.
'We are a republic form of government. That means we elect people to represent our interests. This bill erases that,' Rep. Sam McKenzie (D-Knoxville) said. 'It lets an appointed board, I don't care where they're from. The people who are appointing them are right here in this building or the one next door. The local school board would have no say anymore. That's not the way America works.'
Opponents told News 2 they'd rather have local, elected leaders make changes to the district versus a state-appointed board.
'It's a devastation to the people who are working so hard to do what they need to do for the kids. [They] just want to go, 'Oh wait. Let's just put some other people in to make decisions,' and those people are already in place,' LoMay Richmond, a Memphis-area teacher said.
However, Rep. White argued the state-appointed board would be made up of qualified experts who live in Shelby County.
'I've been accused that this is a state takeover. It is not,' Rep. White said. 'I am a representative of the city of Memphis. I am locally elected by the citizens of Memphis and Shelby County, and they have asked me to push forward with such legislation. I like to work with everybody to find solutions, but what we're doing is not working.'
Amid the opposition expressed during the House K-12 Subcommittee Tuesday, Memphis community advocate, Lashanta Rudd snapped in support of the bill. However, she wants the people of Shelby County to have more of a say in who would serve on the state-appointed managing board.
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'We are here today because of the Memphis-Shelby County School board,' Rudd said. 'We are not just going to sit by and watch them destroy our school system. Something has to happen, and it needs to happen fast.'
The bill passed the House K-12 Subcommittee 6 to 2 in a vote along party lines. It will move to the full House Education Committee. The bill is also working its way through the committee process on the Senate side.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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