The Memphis-Shelby County Schools oversight board is allowed to move forward, a federal judge decided Oct. 15.
U.S. District Court Judge Waverly Crenshaw for the Middle District of Tennessee issued the decision in a court filing.
The decision comes less than a week after the board held its first meeting in months. The oversight board had been stalled out since July 1, when MSCS leaders filed a lawsuit that claimed the oversight board violated the state constitution because it invalidated voters' choice of locally elected officials.
The board was allowed to meet and establish its infrastructure, but the court was clear that the board would not be afforded any power over the school district until the board was prepared.
But in an Oct. 2 hearing held
in Nashville, Crenshaw said he was ready to allow the board to meet as soon as the board indicated it was ready to do business.
In a court order filed Oct. 5, Crenshaw directed the oversight board to file a statement under oath by Billy Orgel, the chairman of the oversight board, when the body is "ready, willing, and able to perform its duties."
During its Oct. 8 meeting, the body adopted the guidelines for an executive director position, established a list of committees and established a system for approving contracts. Orgel cited those developments as evidence the board is ready, and he filed a statement on Oct. 13.
"Accordingly, for the reasons stated on the record at the October 2, 2026 hearing, the motion to dissolve the July 1, 2026 Order (Doc. No. 32) is GRANTED," the Oct. 15 filing from the court read. "The order to maintain the status quo (Doc. No. 22) is TERMINATED."
Read the full court filing
Jack Armstrong covers breaking news and the environment for The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at jack.armstrong@commercialappeal.com and followed on X @jca2902.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Takeover of Memphis-Shelby County Schools can proceed, judge rules
