Please be advised that the Board adopted revisions to the district’s policy manual on July 28, 2026. You can access the new policy online in BoardDocs.
July 28, 2026
REVISED POLICIES
Revisions
- Establish guidelines for professional and personal social media use by Board Members.
- Value and support the right of Board members to engage with constituents through social media regarding District activities.
- Call for members always to maintain professional relationships and interactions with students, parents, staff members, and community members.
- Allow Board members to take and share photos and videos from public meetings, school events, ceremonies, or community activities where there is no reasonable expectation of privacy.
- Require compliance with District policies, including the social media policy and any local, state, and federal laws and regulations.
- Reiterate Board members’ limitation to speak on behalf of the Board unless permitted in accordance with law and District policy.
- Require Board members to include a disclaimer when expressing their views on a Board-related matter when the District is the subject of social media content or when Board members post on social media and identify themselves by their positions or relationship with the Board.
- Include prohibitions that apply to Board members’ social media use when the use involves or impacts the District, its operations, schools, employees, and the MSCS community.
- Call for Board Members to review the social media policy at least biennially.
- Outline provisions for reporting, investigation, and addressing violations (See policy 0023 Process for Addressing Board Member Violations).
Revisions
- Modify the definition of telework to mean an arrangement that allows an employee to perform a portion of their workday/week virtually rather than their MSCS work location and clarifies that in a remote work arrangement an employee performs their entire work virtually.
- Allow remote work arrangements when approved by the Superintendent (or designee).
- State that the Superintendent (or designee) is responsible for: a. determining if remote work arrangements are job-appropriate, b. identifying positions that are eligible for remote work, and c. approving and/or denying remote work requests.
- State that Senior Leaders (e.g., Chiefs, Officers) are responsible for determining if telework arrangements are job appropriate and identifying telework-eligible positions within their departments and that Senior Leaders or their designees are responsible for or approving and/or denying telework requests within their departments.
- Amend the regulations to:
- Include additional eligibility requirements - employees must be in telework or remote work eligible positions to telework or remote work and, for telework employees, they must be able to report in-person within two hours if requested by their supervisors.
- Specify provisions for remote work, including that new remote work eligible positions must be advertised as such when posted and current positions identified as remote-work eligible must be reclassified to reflect that the position is now remote work eligible.
- Clarify that employees in telework-eligible positions may be required to work virtually while school and/or other District offices are closed.
- Outline the responsibility of the Superintendent (or designee) and Senior Leaders (or designee) regarding District-authorized telework.
- Require employees engaged in telework or remote work to sign a District agreement and complete additional documentation as requested.
Revisions
- Add language allowing the Superintendent to delegate the authority to suspend or dismiss non-tenured teachers to a designee.
- Include provisions from state law which clarify that requirements such as notice and hearings do not apply to individuals who hold a temporary academic permit or temporary clinical permit pursuant to the law.
- Include information regarding the right of any party to appeal the Board’s decision in accordance with the provisions of state law.
- Amend the policy title and include in the scope a reference to policy 4043 Reduction in Workforce/Layoff.
Revisions
- Establish guidelines for professional and personal social media use by employees.
- Outline the expectation that all employees conduct themselves in a manner that reflects a positive representation of themselves, the District, and its employees, Board members, students, and school community.
- Seek to balance an employee’s right to free speech in their personal use of social media, while also acknowledging that the District has genuine interest in promoting workplace efficiency and avoiding actual and potential workplace disruptions.
- Allow employees to engage with students/parents/families in a professional manner and at reasonable times on social media.
- Allow employees to take and share photos and videos from public meetings, school events, ceremonies, or community activities where there is no reasonable expectation of privacy.
- Allow employees to use personal social media on their own devices at work during their free/personal time (e.g., lunch, breaks, duty-free time).
- Require compliance with District policies, including the social media policy and any local, state, and federal laws and regulations.
- Require employees to include a disclaimer when the District is the subject of social media content or if employees identify themselves as employees of MSCS on social media.
- Include prohibitions that apply to employees’ social media use when the use involves or impacts the District, its operations, schools, employees, and the MSCS community.
- Outline provisions for reporting, investigation, and addressing violations.
- Emphasize that the policy does not prohibit an employee from voicing concerns regarding employment-related matters and references the applicable policies for doing so.
Revisions
- Clarify that the Superintendent (or designee) is authorized to recommend to the Board, rather than determine, that a reduction in workforce is necessary.
- Make it clear that if the Board dismisses teachers or nonlicensed employees due to a reduction in workforce, the Board, rather than the Superintendent (or designee), shall give the teachers or nonlicensed employee written notice of dismissal explaining the circumstances or conditions making termination of employment necessary.
Revisions
- Include a reference to policy 4043 Reduction in Workforce/Layoff in the scope of the policy.
administrative rules and regulations
Revisions
- State that if the District delays opening and/or closes for inclement weather:
- non-exempt employees may be compensated for up to one work week to align provisions for exempt employees.
- the Superintendent may extend the days exempt and non-exempt employees paid/compensated.
- employees in telework-eligible positions may be required to work virtually to ensure continuity of academic and operational services.
May 26, 2026
REVISED POLICIES
Revisions
- Amend the section regarding public comment.
- Note that the public comment section does not apply for Board-conducted disciplinary hearings as defined by law.
- Require speakers to state their city of residence, rather than address, before speaking.
- Conveying that speakers are not permitted to use lewd or profane language to ensure that Board meetings are welcoming and appropriate for children.
- State that speakers are asked to refrain from using names of District personnel who are not elected officials.
- Clarify that the Chair may terminate the remarks of any individual who is unreasonably disruptive or does not adhere to Board Policy.
Revisions
- Include language aligning with wording specified in federal law.
Revisions
- Clarify that the Superintendent may designate authority in the policy and include references to over-age-for grade (OAG) guidelines in the regulations.
Revisions
- Include language stating that the district’s policy will comply with state law including the declarations and requirements of T.C.A. §§ 37-1-601(a) and 37-1-603(b)(3) which incorporates “Erin’s Law”. The law educates children about child sexual abuse prevention.
Revisions
- Clarify the process and documents needed for shared residency.
- Include language stating that student general choice transfers may be revoked at the end of the semester rather than anytime during the school year.
- Develop administrative rules and regulations that outline the revocation processes for both general choice and optional school transfers for students who fail to meet or maintain eligibility criteria.
- Require guidelines to include notification, warning letters to parents when their child’s choice or optional transfer may be revoked, probation, and options to review a revocation decision.
Revisions
- Expand the policy scope to include 9th and 10th grade students.
- States that the Board authorizes a high school student to serve as an advisory, non-voting Student Board Member on the Board during meetings that are open to the public.
- Requires the Board to review and approve any provisions of the Student Congress by laws pertaining to the Student Board Member prior to implementation.
- Streamline the meeting requirements for the Student Congress.
- Broaden language in the administrative rules and regulations to:
- in addition to principal (or designee) recommendation, state that schools should advertise that students may apply to the principal to run for the Student Congress.
- encourages School Board Members, District staff supporting the Student Congress, Student Congresspersons, and Middle School Liaisons to participate in youth and adult equity training.
- include a nonvoting Student Board Member position on the Student Congress.
- outline criteria for congresspersons to serve as the Student Board Member.
- set a quarterly term for the Student Board Member.
- allow the Student Board Member to act as a non-voting, advisory representative of the Board, by providing, when appropriate, a declaration reflecting his/her position and/or the position of the Student Congress on student-related action items or votes taken by the Board, which declaration shall be recorded and included as information in the public record.
- allow the Student Board Member to participate in discussions or provide insight from a student's point of view as appropriate when requested by Board members.
Revisions
- Include language aligning with wording specified in federal law.
March 31, 2026
SUSPENDED POLICIES/POLICY SECTIONS
The Board suspended the following policies/policy sections: 1005 Superintendent Evaluation (Section A1.)
The revision:
- Extends the temporary suspension of Section A1 of the policy that requires the Board and Superintendent to Develop specific performance objectives no later than October.
February 11, 2026
2022 Board Strategic School Fund Allocation Program
The adopted new policy:
- Provides an equitable process for allocating funds to meet strategic needs in individual schools.
- Prohibits the use of funds for routine operational expenses, personal gain, or discretionary items (like food or travel) unless directly tied to a specific approved initiative.
- Requires:
- Funds to be allocated by March (unallocated and unencumbered funds will not rollover and will revert to the General Fund). Allocations must (1) supplement, and not supplant, existing school operating budgets and (2) align with District strategic goals, educational purposes, and legal/procurement standards.
- Principals to submit a written request at least one month in advance, detailing the cost, intended use, and expected outcomes.
- The Superintendent (or designee) to review the request for compliance and equity, and provide a recommendation to the Board within five business days. Exception allows the deadline to be waived only for documented, extenuating circumstances (e.g., an unexpected national competition).
- Schools to provide receipts and post-expenditure reports
December 2, 2025
REVISED POLICIES
Adopted revisions clarify the authority of the Board/District General Counsel for contractual obligations related to professional services; engagement of outside counsel for any legal matter, settlement agreements, and reporting settlements to the Board.
Adopted revisions align with state law, increasing the minimum amount of physical activity required for elementary school students from 130 minutes per full school week to 40 minutes per school day.
Adopted revisions amend the current policy in its entirety and now applies all Memphis-Shelby County Schools’ employees, removes vendors, and requires senior-level employees annually file a disclosure statement annually with other employees completing a disclosure when a conflict is identified.
5014 Grading System for Grades Pre-K-5 and 5015 Grading System for Grades 6-12
Adopted revisions align with state law regarding parent notification of universal reading or dyslexia screener results for K-8 students and authorizes the Superintendent to delegate responsibility.
Adopted revisions authorize the Superintendent to delegate authority and align with state law that requires districts to permit participation in interscholastic athletics by a virtual school student who satisfies the eligibility requirements established by an organization or an association that regulates interscholastic athletic competition.
SUSPENDED POLICIES/POLICY SECTIONS
The Board suspended the following policies/policy sections: 1005 Superintendent Evaluation
October 28, 2025
REVISED POLICIES
Adopted revisions authorize the Superintendent to delegate duties and responsibilities and establish administrative rules and regulations necessary to implement policies adopted by the Board.
Adopted revisions change the name of the accounting manual to align with state law.
Adopted revisions allow the District to provide reasonable accommodation for employees of size when on authorized travel.
Adopted revisions remove language referring to volunteers.
Adopted revisions outline that searches may be conducted on staff, students, visitors, and their personal belongings for entry and/or for cause. Adopted revisions also clarify that a search for cause may only be conducted by the school resource officer who is acting, for the purpose of the search, as a school official, a school security officer, or a school administrator who has completed training pursuant to state law.
SUSPENDED POLICIES/POLICY SECTIONS
The Board suspended the following policies/policy sections:
0028 Data Dashboard
2001 Annual Operating Budget
REPEALED POLICIES
The Board repealed the following policies: 2002 Fiscal Year.
ADMINISTRATIVE RULES AND REGULATIONS
Revisions outline due process right for exclusionary disciplinary measures; information regarding parental notification and reporting requirements required by state law; and the principal’s authority to issue one to ten-day suspensions with behavior plan and notification requirements.
September 30, 2025
REVISED POLICIES
Adopted revisions align the policy with requirements under federal law related to Title IX Coordinator and prohibit any form of unlawful discrimination and harassment.
Adopted revisions align definition of “child with disabilities” with applicable law and clarify that a child with a disability will be educated in the least restrictive environment and to the maximum extent appropriate, alongside the child's typically developing peers.
Adopted revisions align with applicable law(s)/rules/guidance regarding healthcare procedures, including clarifying that informed written parental consent is required for students to receive health services provided by the district (exception, emergencies for minor first-aid)
REPEALED POLICIES
The Board repealed the following policies:
5019 Early Transition to College Program
6019 Student Rights and Due Process
ADMINISTRATIVE RULES AND REGULATIONS
Revision outlines specific professional learning requirements for certified staff - teachers.
Revision aligns with amended state law for state-paid parenting leave.