Statewide school district leaders and researchers expressed caution and uncertainty Tuesday as Tennessee considers rejecting nearly $1.9 billion in federal funding for K-12 education and replace the money with state dollars.
Representatives from several school districts testified before the task force studying the feasibility of denying the funds during its second day of meetings. The 10-member legislative task force will continue its meetings Wednesday and into next week.
House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, tasked the group with recommending a strategy before the Legislature resumes in January. Republican supporters of such a move cited the requirements that accompany federal funding.
By the close of the second day’s meetings, no legislators on the panel had specified “conditions” attached to federal education funding that they found controversial or objectionable. Tuesday’s testimony instead focused on the critical role federal funding plays in Tennessee’s education system.
If the panel recommends rejecting the funds and lawmakers act on it, Tennessee would set a national precedent by making such a decision.
Here are five key takeaways from the second day of meetings.
President: Review focuses on ‘conditions attached’ – not funding cut
As the panel resumed after a lunch break Tuesday, task force co-chair Sen. Jon Lundberg, R-Bristol, reminded the room that the group was working to review the “conditions attached” to federal funding dollars. K-12 – not just consider rejecting them. Lundberg is chairman of the Senate Education Committee and will be a key voice on the issue, particularly if the state decides to refuse federal funds.
“We’re not looking at dollars, we’re talking about removing, frankly, these conditions,” Lundberg said. “What kind of responsibility does the state have when we receive these federal dollars? What are we… passing on to you then? And then what are we passing on to these schools?”
Sexton and others said if the state rejected federal funding, it would continue to fund the programs funded by that money.
“It’s not about cutting programs in any way,” Lundberg said.
District leaders highlight importance of federal funds, fight assumptions
Leaders from four school districts spoke at Tuesday’s afternoon meeting, including:
- Hawkins County School District Superintendent Matt Hixson
- Marlon King, superintendent of the Jackson-Madison County school system
- Toni Williams, Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent
- Hank Clay, chief of staff for Metro Nashville Public Schools
Each explained how their district uses federal funding, emphasizing the importance of federal money for programs such as nutrition and support for students with disabilities.
‘Listen’:Why disability advocates are warily watching the federal education funding debate
Williams said many school districts are already choosing where to invest, including in maintaining aging school buildings. Last year, Williams said, the district had to close an elementary school after part of its roof collapsed.
Rep. John Ragan, R-Oak Ridge, asked each leader for their opinion on how they would operate if they did not have the “strings attached” to federal funding. Essentially, he said, it could free up their time and resources for other things.
None of the leaders gave a direct answer to the question. Some spoke about how many needs remain for schools of all sizes, even with federal, state and local funding in place. Others said they are used to managing accountability and being accountable for the funds they receive.
When Sen. Raumesh Akbari, R-Memphis, later asked the same question, the four leaders remained silent.
Rep. Ronnie Glynn, a Clarksville Democrat, pointed out that even state money is subject to reporting and accountability requirements.
“There are conditions with all the money you get,” Glynn said, drawing clicks and snaps from the audience.
None of the lawmakers on the panel indicated what specific conditions attached to federal funding they find controversial or objectionable.
Tensions over protest signs persist after special session
A few dozen people gathered in the center of the room, most holding signs with messages such as “eyes wide open” and “our taxes, our choice.” At the start of the meeting, co-chair Rep. Debra Moody, R-Covington, reiterated the rule that signs should remain at eye level or lower.
The sergeant-at-arms approached people several times in the morning to ask them to lower their signs. The crowd remained mostly silent throughout the morning and afternoon sessions, but occasionally clicked or clicked to show support.
No one was excluded from the meetings. But tensions over the signs and the height at which members of the public can hold them show the problem is unlikely to go away.
During August’s special legislative session on guns, mental health and public safety, tensions flared when members of the public were told they could not carry signs of any sort in the galleries of the House or in the committee rooms. This sparked a constitutional lawsuit that ultimately led the court to strike down the rule banning the signage.
Sycamore Institute Reviews Report on Federal K-12 Funding in Tennessee
Brian Straessle, executive director of the Sycamore Institute, a nonpartisan think tank, and deputy director Mandy Spears presented key findings from their study. recent report on federal K-12 funding in Tennessee. While the report says the state could technically afford to replace federal K-12 funds with state dollars, it points out several caveats, including how a major economic downturn could affect state margins without a federal safety net.
It also further complicates matters because federal laws such as those protecting civil rights and people with disabilities still need protection, even without federally funded programs. Spears said the administrative burden would be heavily shifted to the state and local districts to ensure these protections continue.
Civil rights concerns surface in discussions
The topic of civil rights became a focal point of a conversation between Rep. William Slater, R-Gallatin, Spears and Straessle. Slater said people shouldn’t fear what could happen if Tennessee lawmakers were responsible for decisions about whether to maintain these protections. He called the U.S. Constitution a “floor, not a ceiling” for rights.
“The state of Tennessee … can provide more rights and more protections to our citizens than the federal government,” he said. “I don’t think we really need to worry about civil rights being taken away.”
“Yeah, that’s right,” someone in the crowd said as others coughed and cleared their throats in unison.
Akbari pushed back on Slater’s assertion.
“There are people in this state who feel like their rights are being curtailed on a daily basis, considering the series of lawsuits against the state of Tennessee and the failure to defend those lawsuits,” he said. she declared. “We know that someone’s interpretation of constitutional protections could be different from what the court says.”
His statements were met with snaps, clicks and nods from the crowd.
She also expressed concerns about how far state surpluses could go to continue to fund what federal dollars would otherwise cover, echoing in part what Glynn said earlier in the discussion. Akbari and Glynn are the only two Democrats on the task force.
How to attend, watch upcoming meetings
- Wednesday, November 8, 9-11 a.m. — U.S. Department of Education and National Conference of State Legislatures
- Tuesday, November 14 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. — Tennessee Department of Education
- Wednesday, November 15, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. — Office of Research and Education Accountability
All meetings must take place in Senate Hearing Room 1 in the Cordell Hull State Office Building, located at 425 Rep. John Lewis Way N in Nashville. A full schedule and links to watch the meetings are available at wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/schedule.
