Newly appointed Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent Roderick Richmond followed through on a post-audit promise to provide a progress report on the district’s efforts to address shortcomings revealed in a recent state-ordered examination.
On Monday, April 6, Richmond announced the launch of two websites to track the district’s response. One follows progress tied to Richmond’s six-pillar improvement plan, while the other mirrors categories outlined in the audit’s findings, including human resources. The sites come ahead of an anticipated meeting between Richmond and state lawmakers.
“I’m meeting with state leadership in the next few weeks to publicly answer any additional questions after that meeting. In the meantime, we have released a full report outlining progress over the past year against the challenges outlined,” Richmond said in a Facebook statement.
The websites are part of a six-pillar plan Richmond presented in March to address findings in the forensic audit. The $6 million, three-part review is seen by many as a precursor to a potential state takeover of the district. The audit covers the 2021-24 school years.
The audit remains ongoing, with only one of three report volumes complete. A final report is expected by June 2026.
According to Richmond, many of the issues identified in the review were already being addressed by the time the preliminary report was released April 1. However, some findings uncovered by auditors at CliftonLarsonAllen LLP had not been identified by district administrators.
The first installment, which identified about $1.1 million in potential waste, fraud and abuse, also offered guidance on cybersecurity and internal controls. Many of the cybersecurity details were redacted for security reasons.
Both areas reflected similar deficiencies, including an overreliance on institutional knowledge and poor recordkeeping, which became more apparent after experienced staff members left during a 2024 restructuring.
MSCS internal auditors were affected by former Superintendent Marie Feagins’ reorganization plan, which included 740 staff cuts and 480 new hires. Many positions were funded with one-time pandemic relief funds. Feagins was fired by the school board early last year.
Disruptions to the internal auditing process were cited as one of the reasons for her dismissal. The audit follows the board’s 6-3 decision to fire her.
“We were aware of the vast majority of issues outlined and have already implemented guardrails and processes for improvement. However, the audit also exposed a few critical blind spots that we can now collaboratively work to repair,” Richmond said.
According to the audit, the district’s ethics and fraud hotline needs improvement, including a standard procedure for forwarding complaints. Auditors also flagged another $1.7 million in spending for possible violations of district policies.
“Now, I have the opportunity to address and repair systems and structures I did not have access to in those earlier roles. As any new leader of any organization, my tenure as superintendent began with a review of every part of it, as well as action plans to strengthen processes, procedures and student achievement districtwide,” Richmond said.
