MSCS may turn charter school into STEAM school

Good morning, Memphis!

This is Metro Editor Corinne Kennedy, and you're reading the Daily Briefing, our one-stop digital shop for the best Memphis stories from our award-winning Commercial Appeal team. And, as always, we're here to curate some of the best stories from some of the area's best journalists.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of students attending schools run by Memphis Scholars, a charter operator, dropped significantly. By the 2022-23 academic year, the network had just 430 students spread across its schools, and only 101 students had enrolled for fall 2024, per a statement on its website .

Memphis Scholars faced a violation and potential charter revocation from the Achievement School District ― the state-led school district it’s a part of ― and its board voted to close its two campuses in late June, less than two months before the start of the new school year.

Because of this, control of the campuses shifted to Memphis-Shelby County Schools, which is planning to close one of them and keep the other open as a STEAM-focused school, John Klyce reports in this story .

Rough weather ahead: The effects of Tropical Storm Beryl could stretch as far as northern Mississippi and into Tennessee by the middle of the week, Liam Adams reports in this story .

The storm has devastated parts of the Caribbean, battered parts of Mexico and is headed toward Texas. It then has a strong chance of swinging northeast to add to rain forecasts in Jackson, and West and Middle Tennessee between Tuesday and Wednesday, according to National Weather Service’s projected potential track area for the next 4-5 days.

Get caught up: In the most recent edition of The CA's politics notebook , Brooke Muckerman brings us an interview with Robert Knecht, the outgoing director of public works for the city of Memphis. He has been with the city for 23 years and is now leaving for a job in the private sector.

The notebook also has information about early voting for the Aug. 12 primary and an update on recent turbulence at Memphis Animal Services.

Who is the queen of Memphis rap?: The late Lola Chantrelle Mitchell made her mark as pioneering rapper Gangsta Boo. With a career spanning nearly three decades, she also was known as the Queen of Memphis.

Bob Mehr has a rundown of her life and musical legacy in this story .

Here are a few other stories to check out as you start the week:

• Currently, MSCS doesn’t have its own custodial staff. It outsourced these services when Memphis City Schools and Shelby County Schools merged more than a decade ago. But the new superintendent wants to bring custodial services back in-house, John Klyce reports in this story .
• The Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday announced they have signed draft picks Zach Edey and Jaylen Wells to multiyear contracts, Damichael Cole reports in this story .
• Three University of Memphis athletic department staff members will soon leave for Missouri, joining former Tigers athletic director Laird Veatch, Jason Munz reports in this story .
• ICYMI, The CA staff got a little bigger and better last week. Meet new high school sports beat writer Wendell Shepherd Jr. in this story .

Thanks for reading The Commercial Appeal! Your support powers our ability to do important journalism, including the stories below. If you are not yet a subscriber, please consider becoming one. You can find the best deals at this site .

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: MSCS may turn charter school into STEAM school