Shutdown Impact Coming to Memphis
The federal government has been shut down for over one month and could become the longest shut-down in history if it continues through Wednesday, Nov. 5th. Memphis and Shelby County are being hit particularly hard as low-income households have not received expected November funds through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). SNAP helps 20 million low-income households across the United States purchase food.
Nearly 20% of Shelby County households will struggle to afford food until the shut-down ends or emergency funding is provided in the meantime. In this update, we discuss the impact of the government shutdown on federal employee pay, SNAP benefits, and healthcare premiums in Memphis and Shelby County.
Where are the Kids?
Recent reporting shows that an additional 3,400 students in the county received vouchers to attend private school this year, and a large portion of this year’s funds went to students from municipalities surrounding Memphis, like Germantown and Collierville.
Additionally, data from early October shows that chronic absenteeism is declining at Memphis-Shelby County Schools. Rates have dropped from 31.1% last year to 24.2%, which could potentially lead to better outcomes for students. However, at least one school board member has speculated that attendance may have fallen since the deployment of the Memphis Safe Task Force.
You can learn more about the effort to reduce chronic absenteeism in the full policy update.
All the Money in Shelby County
The Tennessee comptroller rejected Shelby County’s budget for the first time due to what he claimed were unmet requirements. This means Shelby County cannot access bonds or take on debt in fiscal year 2026, but major projects, like new schools and the Regional One rebuild, should stay on track.
In this update, we show you what public funding we have locally and where it comes from. We also highlight what Memphis and Shelby County officials can focus on in budgeting for the upcoming fiscal year to support children and families.
What is the "Memphis Safe Task Force”?
According to Governor Bill Lee, the “Memphis Safe Task Force” will consist of federal agents from the FBI; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF); U.S. Marshals Service; Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); and the National Guard in addition to local law enforcement.
In this edition of the Weekly Policy Update, we gather information currently available on the influx of federal agents to Memphis. We also highlight several prevention-focused efforts, such as after-school programming and workforce pathways, that can sustainably reduce crime in the long run.
Who, What, Why is a School Board Member?
Last week, the Shelby County Commission took a final vote on the resolution to align MSCS board elections with those of the county commission. All nine school board seats will be on the ballot in 2026 with all 13 county commission seats.
In this update, we discuss the duties of school board members and what kind of expertise future candidates can bring to the table.