Restructuring by Region
At the July 2025 meeting of the Shelby County Board of Education, Superintendent Dr. Rod Richmond shared plans for restructuring the Memphis-Shelby County Schools from seven performance-based networks into five geographical regions.
When grouped this way, operations are streamlined, allowing resources to be allocated more effectively and efficiently. It also encourages community buy-in and strengthens feeder patterns. The five regions are: Southeast, Northeast, Southwest, Northwest and iZone.
The iZone region (the only one not solely based on geographic proximity and feeder patterns) was established several years ago to provide extra support to the lowest performing schools in the district. By implementing innovative methods at these schools, such as extended school days and one-on-one coaching support, the goal was to move students from the bottom 5 percent of student achievement in Tennessee to the top 25 percent.
Key benefits of a regional model include an aligned K-12 curriculum—in which students who are struggling with material are more quickly identified, ensuring timely interventions, stronger community connections, and balanced distribution of teachers and resources across the district.
For more information on this restructuring plan, please view Dr. Richmond’s presentation here.