Memphis 2026 school board election: live updates

Memphis voters will head to the polls today to elect four new members to the school board, though the extent of their influence remains uncertain. Michelle McKissack and Joyce Dorse Coleman, both incumbents, are running unopposed after securing the Democratic nomination in the first partisan primary the board held in May. District 6 residents will choose between Democratic nominee T.L.

Harris and independent challenger Frederick Dewayne Tappan, the latter a local pastor who won the primary by fewer than 200 votes. In District 8, Memphis school librarian Leigh Ann Scarborough faces off against primary winner Tanya Frey, a seasoned local lawyer.

The newly elected board will officially assume office on September 1st, just a month into the 2026-27 school year. Their duties will commence amidst a significant legal dispute over district control, as Tennessee Republicans appointed a nine-member oversight board under a state takeover law passed in the spring. Currently, the oversight board's authority is temporarily blocked by a federal court order pending a decision on a lawsuit Memphis-Shelby County Schools filed against the takeover law, arguing it is unconstitutional.

If the court reinstates the oversight board, its members would hold final approval over the Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) budget and vendor contracts, as well as the power to reappoint the district's superintendent and close local schools.

Local school leaders are currently prioritizing initiatives to boost math proficiency and reduce chronic absenteeism as they respond to state audit findings revealing potential spending abuse and ineffective operations.