Recommendation to shutter four MSCS schools leaves many details up in the air. Here are the key questions we’re following.

MSCS leaders say the affected schools have costly maintenance needs and low utilization. A fifth school is slated to be transferred to a neighboring suburban district.

Five school board members will now only serve half their terms, which opponents say is unconstitutional.

Memphis gym and health teachers will instruct students on gun safety curriculum this fall. Though some parents at a town hall this week asked to remove their kids from the training, a district official said that is not an option.

It’s unclear which schools will be included in the plan that could come as early as Tuesday. There are several MSCS buildings quickly approaching the end of their useful life.

Experts point to factors like surges in private and homeschool options and general population decreases. The losses come with big implications for Memphis-Shelby County Schools’ budget and impending school closures.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools cut teacher vacancies by hundreds compared with this time last year, thanks to a bolstered HR team, an official said. Over 200 new hires hold conditional licenses, which expire in 3 years.

The county commission remains divided on whether to put Memphis school board seats on the ballot in 2026 or 2030, with some worried about legality issues. A small group of critical parents is pushing for immediate action.

MSCS leaders will pay outside company Reading Horizons over $540,000 for its dyslexia-specific tutoring curriculum. But one local literacy expert worries it won’t be enough to boost proficiency.

MSCS earned the highest score in the Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System for the fourth year in a row. But younger students lost progress in social studies, falling behind expected growth.