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Happy Friday! Hope you’re all staying cool in this early July heat.
I’ve been inside reading the 667-page audit report on Memphis-Shelby County Schools since Wednesday so that you don’t have to.
And here’s the main takeaway: Auditors found few instances of potential fraud, waste, or abuse, with the main charge being a 2022 custodial contract MSCS canceled after one year. The audit also pointed to widespread issues with documentation and procedures.
Read more about what auditors unearthed here. And let us know your thoughts on the findings at [email protected].
Local education coverage is disappearing. Chalkbeat helps families and educators understand what’s changing. We can’t do it without you.
Local News
5 key takeaways from the final Memphis schools audit report
The final results from CliftonLarsonAllen show $53 million in MSCS spending identified as potential abuse alongside widespread district disorganization.
Tennessee releases final results of Memphis schools forensic audit
The final Memphis-Shelby County Schools audit identifies more than $54 million in district spending as evidence of potential waste, fraud, or abuse over a three-year period.
Around Chalkbeat
Education Department scaled back special education monitoring: report
Federal auditors often find states not properly serving students with disabilities. At the Trump administration’s current pace, each state would be reviewed once every 25 years.
Chicago’s Black Student Success Director Eugene Robinson Jr. talks about the initiative’s first year
Chalkbeat spoke with Eugene Robinson Jr., who became the inaugural director of Black student success in 2024, about what he was able to accomplish during the initiative’s first year amid federal backlash against it.
What We’re Reading
She witnessed a school shooting, then got expelled after reporting a threat, The Tennessean (Paywall)
Knox County Schools may offer an early retirement incentive to save money, Knoxville News Sentinel (Paywall)



