Memphis-Shelby County Schools Launches Website to Respond to Audit Findings

Apr 7

Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) has begun taking measures to reassure parents and community members of its leaders’ commitment to improvement in the wake of a scathing preliminary audit released last week by the Tennessee Comptroller.

The district sent out a press release announcing the launch of a new website, www.mscsprogress.org, as a resource to track its response to the audit and provide transparency on its operations.

“The preliminary audit findings present an important opportunity for the district to reestablish community trust by reinforcing systems, improving processes, and advancing a culture of accountability and continuous improvement,” part of the email statement reads.

The Website

The district highlights two data points on its website: an 84 percent graduation rate in 2025 among MSCS schools, marking the fifth consecutive year of improvement, and the note that 105,000 students are served by the state’s largest school system.

The site also contains a link to a statement titled “Fiscal & Operational Management Progress.” It color-codes issues found in the state's preliminary audit as completed, in progress, or just starting. The site also includes a dashboard detailing milestones to reach, organized into sections, or “pillars,” including 90-Day Priority Milestones, Procurement and Contract Reform, Human Resources File Compliance, and more.

“Memphis-Shelby County Schools leaders recognize the critical importance of fiscal and operational efficiency and responsibility in supporting students and classrooms,” A statement on the website reads. “Therefore, with the support and guidance provided by the state’s preliminary forensic audit, we benchmarked our existing progress in alignment with many of its recommendations.”

The site also contains a graphic outlining the “5 A’s” in its “Pathway to Greatness” moving forward: Academics, Attendance, Attitude, Athletics, and Arts.

Dr. Roderick Richmond Responds

On Monday Morning, MSCS posted a video on its Facebook page of Superintendent Dr. Roderick Richmond making a statement in response to the audit’s findings. In the video, he emphasized his personal investment in the district, having grown up in it and worked in it himself, and highlighted his goals to review departments, strengthen processes, and enhance student achievement during his tenure.

“I walked these halls as a student, encouraged young minds as a teacher and principal, and worked to raise student achievement in some of our most struggling schools, while serving as an eyes-on leader,” Richmond said. “Now I have the opportunity to address and repair systems and structures that I did not have access to in those earlier roles.”

Notably, Richmond also said the district was aware of the “vast majority” of the issues outlined in the preliminary state audit and has already begun implementing improvement plans for those areas.

“However, the audit also exposed a few critical blind spots that we can now collaboratively work to repair,” Richmond said. “I'm meeting with state leadership in the next few weeks and will publicly answer any additional questions after that meeting.”

Richmond was named superintendent in February but was reverted back to interim status in a special meeting in March, primarily to avoid a clause in his contract that would leave the district responsible for paying up to 18 months of his salary and benefits should he be terminated on or before June 30, 2027. J

District leaders also unveiled a Local Accountability and Transformation Plan, intended to stave off state intervention while the audit was still looming.

The full 329-page preliminary state audit is available here.