Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent Roderick Richmond said his team was seeking to address problems raised by a forensic audit of the district released by state officials.
"At this point, the audit is behind us; we're looking forward to solutions," he said.
Richmond, speaking while visiting schools on Aug. 3, said his team is working on a "modernization and excellence" plan to tackle the broad concerns raised by the audit, which alleged $54 million in potential waste, fraud or abuse.
In a July 31 video posted to MSCS social media, Richmond said the efforts focused on emphasizing fiscal accountability, reinforcing expectations for procuring contracts and promoting a "culture of compliance."
Richmond comments on MSCS takeover
Richmond spoke to reporters at the end of a tour
of several schools in the district on Aug. 3, the first day of the 2026-27 school year. He greeted students and teachers and stopped into classrooms, where students recited their ABCs and posed to have their photos taken.
At the press conference, Richmond also briefly addressed MSCS and Shelby County's lawsuit against the state of Tennessee over the forced takeover of Memphis' school district.
"We're in litigation," he said. "Each and every day my team and I are going to get up, and we're going to put in an honest day's work. As of today, our nine board members are still governing...there's 110,000 students looking up to us and counting on us."
Around 106,000 students enrolled in MSCS schools this year, including charter partners, Richmond said.
That's 91% of projected enrollment for the district.
MSCS is still waiting for the Shelby County Commission to approve its budget, but Richmond said that won't have an impact on the district as the school year begins.
On July 28, the MSCS board of education approved an amendment to increase the 2027 fiscal year budget by nearly $120 million, including $11.9 million for deferred maintenance.
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: Memphis superintendent addresses audit, takeover as school begins
