Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signs House Bill 662, handing a GOP-appointed board control of Memphis-Shelby County Schools

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed House Bill 662 on May 22, 2026, creating a nine-member Educational Oversight Board with sweeping authority over Memphis-Shelby County Schools, the state's largest district serving more than 110,000 students. All nine board members are appointed exclusively by three Republican state officials — the governor, House Speaker Cameron Sexton, and Senate Speaker Randy McNally — with no seats for elected local representatives and no accountability to Memphis or Shelby County voters. The board controls the district's operating budget, superintendent contract, curriculum reviews, and teacher evaluations, and can veto the Shelby County Commission's budget approvals until the board grants consent. Lee announced his first five appointees the same day, and the law took effect weeks after Memphis voters cast ballots in the 2026 school board primary.