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A Shelby County Commission committee advanced a resolution to align school board races with the general election cycle by 2030, dropping an earlier plan that would have cut short five members’ terms.
Last month, commissioners delayed voting on a proposal to put all school board seats on the 2026 ballot. They said that proposal, which shortened some current terms, raised constitutional concerns. The full commission is expected to vote as early as Monday on the new resolution, which also includes term limits that could start with those elected in 2030.
A state law with bipartisan backing made the election cycle changes possible. The Memphis lawmakers who sponsored the bill, Democratic Rep. Torrey Harris and Republican Sen. Brent Taylor, had argued that syncing up election cycles would save money and increase voter turnout, which is consistently low for school board-only elections.
But some have characterized the move as a school board reset amid the controversy that followed Superintendent Marie Feagins’ January ouster.