In addition to being on the Wilson County commission, I also serve on the Governmental Affairs Committee for the Tennessee County Commission Association. The committee met on February 15th, 2019 and discussed 194 bills that have been filed in the 111th Tennessee Legislative session that affect counties.
I’ve been asked to go over the bills that TCCA is supporting for education. If you want more information about any bill you can look it up on the TN General Assembly’s website: http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/billsearch/BillSearchAdvanced.aspx
The comments (Supporting, Monitoring, Opposing) are the results of votes of the committee and the Executive Board of the TCCA.
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HB0301/SB0019 – (Supporting) Authorizes a county or city governing body to require the director of schools to face a retention election. – If this bill passes, Wilson County would have to opt in locally with a 2/3 majority of the County Commission.
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HB0091/SB442 – (Supporting) Authorizes LEAs to use an alternative academic growth indicator for Pre-K and Kindergarten teachers, rather than the pre-k/kindergarten growth portfolio model approved by the state
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HB0239/SB0197 – (Monitoring) Enacts the “TN Local Education Capital Investment Act” – this is specifically for rapid growing school districts. (Wilson qualifies based on the definition set in the bill). It would allow the county to keep an additional 2% of the state’s portion of sales tax revenues collected within the boundaries of WCS district up to an additional $7 million to pay for capital needs of schools. – This means that instead of sending the state 7% of sales tax, we could keep 2% (up to $7 million total) of that to build schools.
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HB0653/SB0909 – Supporting – Increases the number of BEP nurses from one for every 3,000 students to one for every 700 students.
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HB0947/SB0803 – Supporting – Requires, instead of authorizes, the Tennessee school safety center to establish school safety grants.
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HB0255/SB1149 – Supporting – Requires the number of instructional positions funded under BEP to reflect the number of teachers a district is required to employ to comply with the maximum class size requirements.
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HB0177/SB0295 – Supporting – Directs any interest accruing on the balance of an LEA’s dedicated education fund remains unspent at the end of the fiscal year must be returned to the fund balance.
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HB0207/SB0269 – Supporting – Makes various changes to the process required for an LEA to sell surplus property.
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HB1352/SB1216 – Opposing – Requires all school funds collected by a county for capital projects be apportioned among the LEAs in the county in proportion to each LEA on the basis of the weighted full-time equivalent average daily attendance.
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HB0297/SB0853 – Monitoring – Enacts the STOP act to authorize imprisonment of no more that 11 mo and 29 days for a conviction of not stopping for a school bus that is loading or unloading children.
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HB0663/SB0605 – Monitoring – Allows a local board of education to consider whether the establishment of a new charter school will result in oversaturation of a school zone located within the LEA when considering to approve or deny the charter application.
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HB0289/SB0052 – Supporting – Requires TSAC to award $500 for each of the first four classes taken under a dual enrollment grant.
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HB0959/HB0776 – Supporting – Sets the BEP instructional salary unit cost for the 2019/20 fiscal year at the statewide average licensed teacher salary.
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HB0949/SB0805 – Supporting – Enacts the Governor’s Investment in Vocational Training Act.
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HB1176/SB1301 – Opposing – Removes the requirement that an off-duty law enforcement officer notify principal or other admin staff if that officer will be on school grounds in the possession of a firearm.
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HB1143/SB1397 – Opposing – Limits payroll deductions by an LEA.
I am paying particular attention to two bills that could increase funding to Wilson County Schools.
HB0239/SB0197 if passed would give WCS additional funding to build schools and complete infrastructure projects. HB0959/HB0776 would significantly increase the BEP funding for teacher salaries. I urge you to call/email/contact our Wilson County delegation (Susan Lynn, Clark Boyd, and Mark Pody) and ask them to support these bills.