MEMPHIS — U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw Jr. issued a temporary restraining order on July 16, 2025, blocking the authority of the state-appointed oversight board for Memphis-Shelby County Schools. The order requires the state and the district to maintain the status quo that existed before the new takeover law took effect.

The order pauses the work of the board indefinitely pending a full federal court hearing, for which no date has been set. The board took control of the district on July 1, 2025, under the new law. It consists of nine political appointees and held its first meeting in June in Nashville. The board had been hiring staff and legal counsel when the order was issued and has not yet met in Memphis.

The district sued the state over the board in June 2025. Under the new law, the board must approve every purchase exceeding $50,000. Previously, district policy allowed the superintendent or a designated deputy to approve contracts under $100,000. The board also has the authority to veto the proposed district budget, which totals more than $1.7 billion and includes bonuses for veteran teachers and facilities costs. The Shelby County Commission has not yet approved the budget.

Oversight Board Chair Billy Orgel stated that a board meeting scheduled for the afternoon of the order was canceled. The cancellation delays votes on an executive director contract and initial steps for the board's expected assessment of district operations. Tito Langston, chief academic officer, said, "Based on my experiences in prior years, the School District's inability to respond efficiently to HVAC outages or other emergencies will likely require school closures or interrupt instruction at the start of the school year." The 2026-27 school year is scheduled to begin on August 3, 2025.