Tennessee Funding Board Shortchanges Schools, Infrastructure

 The Tennessee State Funding Board — the group responsible for setting the revenue projections used in state budgeting — met this week and got it wrong. Again. Like they do every single year.

Why does this even matter? Well, the Funding Board estimates are used to determine the parameters for the state budget. When the question is asked “why don’t we budget more for X,” the answer can be: The Funding Board says we won’t have that money.

Except, well, the Funding Board is wrong. ALL THE TIME.

Let’s look at the most recent evidence. This year, Tennessee is sitting on the largest budget surplus ever. EVER. That’s because state revenue came in at $2 billion ABOVE projections.

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Calls Growing Across TN for Boost to School Funding

 In a state that continues to earn failing grades in school funding, community groups in Nashville, Memphis, and Chattanooga are calling on Gov. Bill Lee and legislative leaders to both increase school funding and update the BEP with a focus on equity.

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Gov. Lee Bringing School Funding Dog & Pony Show to Hendersonville

 Gov. Bill Lee will be hosting a Town Hall on the state's funding formula for schools in Hendersonville on October 27th. The event will be held at Merrol Hyde Magnet School at 5:30 PM. 

The Town Hall is part of Lee's effort to pitch his plan to re-work the formula for funding schools while not actually increasing education funding. 

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee is an unapologetic champion of school privatization. While the Tennessee Supreme Court has delayed implementation of the voucher scheme Lee succeeded in passing in 2019, Lee has put on a full court press of other measures in order to bring privatization to the Volunteer State.

The latest effort comes by way of Lee attempting to “reform” the state’s school funding formula, known as the BEP. The move includes 18 subcommittees designed to make recommendations for revising the formula — even though Lee has indicated he has no plans to actually increase funding for schools.

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Lee's Administration has come under fire for failing to make a serious attempt at increased school funding in the midst of a giant surplus:

Tennessee ranks 46th in the nation for what we invest per student. It is irresponsible and harmful to Tennessee children to continue the pattern of insufficient state investment in our schools, especially at a time when Tennessee has the largest revenue surpluses in state history. We can and must do better for our students.

 For more on news impacting Hendersonville and Sumner County, follow @HvilleNews

County Commission Meets Tonight at 7 PM

The Sumner County Commission will meet tonight at 7 PM at the County Commission Chambers in Gallatin.

The meeting will include a presentation on the budget and likely public discussion regarding the recently adopted tax rate.

A group of commissioners, led by former Chair Merrol Hyde and Commissioner Jim Vaughn, are seeking to delay progress on investments in schools and other county services.

Ironically, these two commissioners led the county to the brink of financial collapse while they were in charge. Now, they want to set aside any new revenue from the tax rate and delay by a year projects to improve schools and address other pressing needs.

Hyde and Vaughn led the past commission in an unprecedented raid on the County's reserve funds, acting as if the money was coming from a credit card that never had to be repaid. Hyde has also conveniently failed to mention his past support for tax increases to meet his budget needs.

While Vaughn now says he doesn't know what was going on back in October and November and wants to delay needed school projects for further debate, it seems he simply missed key meetings in August and September.

If Vaughn and Hyde are successful tonight, key building projects will not start on time. Here's a graphic showing the projects slated to begin if a bond is approved tonight:

 

 

 

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Taxing Hypocrisy

County Commissioner Merrol Hyde likes to tell the public that he's against higher taxes. He says that schools and other departments can get along just fine without additional county revenue, they just need to manage their budgets better.

Of course, this is coming from the former County Commission Chairman who presided over one of the worst examples of "borrow and spend" economics in Sumner County history. Rather than raise revenue or budget conservatively, the Commission under Hyde simply raided reserve funds time and again to the point where Sumner County was on the verge of financial insolvency until the current Commission righted the ship.

Hyde has conveniently forgotten the reckless spending of his past, however, and now claims to be a champion of the taxpayers. And by champion, he means the guy who would never, ever raise taxes, no matter how great the cause.

Hyde probably doesn't think too many people remember the not-so-distant past. But, a perusal of County Commission minutes reveals that on 7 occasions on a single night, County Commissioner Merrol Hyde voted for a tax increase.

On August 18th, 2003, the County Commission was faced with a Director of Schools who had presented a budget that required additional funds. Funds not generated by the current level of taxes. Other department heads made similar claims -- that they simply couldn't operate under existing revenue.

The Director of Sumner County Schools in August of 2003 was Merrol Hyde, who also happened to be serving on the County Commission at that time.

Hyde joined a group of Commissioners who pushed for, and ultimately won adoption of, a 45 cent increase in taxes.

On that night, Hyde voted for tax increases of 46 cents, 55 cents, 40 cents, 47 cents, 47 cents, 45 cents, and a final vote for the 45 cent increase that passed. 

It should be noted that each one of those votes would have taken the tax rate above the 2015 rate of $2.50.

Hyde now says the Director of Schools should work harder to trim the budget. But back when he was Director, he had no problem asking his County Commission buddies to raise taxes. He even supported the highest tax increase proposed, 55 cents.

So, in the first months after Hyde's failed leadership, tax rates are lower than rates he's approved of in the past, the era of bailouts has ended, and schools and county departments can move forward on sound footing. Oh, and Sumner County still has one of the lowest tax rates of any county in middle Tennessee.

For more on news in Hendersonville and Sumner County, follow @HvilleNews

County Commission Passes School System Budget

On Monday night, the Sumner County Commission passed the School Board's $214 million budget for the 2014-15 school year.

The Commission voted 19-3 in favor of the budget.

The budget includes a 3% raise for all employees, additional positions to meet system needs, and a readjustment of salaries for support staff.

The budget also includes the highest instructional allocation for schools ever in a Sumner County Schools budget.

For more on the budget, see a presentation or read the details.

SPECIAL CALLED County Commission Meeting

The Sumner County Commission will meet on Monday, June 30th in Special Sessions of the Education Committee, the Budget Committee, and the full County Commission.

The Education Committee begins at 5:30, Budget at 6:00 PM, and full commission at 7:00 PM. 

The meetings include discussion of continuation budgets for the Sumner County Schools and other departments as well as discussion of setting the certified tax rate for 2014.

For more news on Hendersonville and Sumner County, follow @HvilleNews

Strong Schools vs. Portables

Parent-led advocacy group Strong Schools sent an email today decrying the over-reliance on Portable "classrooms" by Sumner County Schools.

The group noted that the system has 77 portables serving an estimated 3000 or so children each day.

During the recent cold temperatures, the group said, the system's use of portables meant kids in class in very cold conditions.

The organization suggested a lack of planning was the cause and that persistent under-funding of schools over the years is finally taking its toll.

The group is calling on the School Board to present and the County Commission to fund a budget that addresses growth and meets the needs of students.

Voucher Backers Hit Hendersonville

Supporters of a school voucher plan that failed to advance in last year's legislative session are pushing again for its adoption.  This time, they stopped in Hendersonville to make their case.

Under one proposal last year, only students in Memphis and Nashville would initially qualify for vouchers.  Other proposals, however, include students statewide.  Given the stop in Hendersonville and in other areas of the state, it seems advocates may be pushing a broader proposal in order to expand appeal for legislators.

The vouchers, or "opportunity scholarships" as they are called by proponents, would take the full BEP (state funding) and local allocation for a student and allow it to be used as tuition at an approved private school.  Under most versions of the proposal, the accepting school must accept the amount of the voucher as full tuition, no matter the actual tuition the school typically charges.

Around the state, school board members are expressing concern noting the potential impact on their budgets.

For example, in Sumner County, if 200 students accepted the vouchers, the district would lose roughly $1.5 million.  Unless those students all came from the same school, it's unlikely the loss of 200 students out of 28,000 would decrease the Board's cost of operating schools.  Given historically tight budget numbers, the Board would have to find some way to make up for the lost funds -- freezing salaries, for example or holding off again on the purchase of textbooks or technology. 

In a district already suffering from a County Commission unwilling to properly fund schools, a voucher plan could be another blow to plans to move toward excellent schools that benefit the entire community. 

Given the potential impact of vouchers, this proposal is one worth watching in the 2014 legislative session. 

Liquor Money on School Board Agenda

The Sumner County School Board meets tonight at 6 PM in Gallatin and Liquor Money is on their mind. That is, the funds the school system is due from the City of Hendersonville and other Sumner municipalities from unpaid liquor by the drink taxes. 

Hendersonville approved a resolution stating their intent to pay back the $1 million over a 5 year period beginning in August of 2014. 

Mike Towle Takes on the County Commission

Sumner County Publications General Manager Mike Towle writes that he's "baffled" by certain things going on in Sumner County and the world.  Specifically, he mentions the school funding crises of recent memory which were followed by this year's amazingly smooth budget process.  Towle notes that 2014 is election year and that perhaps the Commissioners are on good behavior because they hope to get re-elected. 

Nevertheless, a look at past budget votes indicates that there are several County Commissioners who have been stalwart opponents of strong school funding.

Among them, Budget Chair Jerry Stone, former budget chair Kirk Moser, Jim Vaughn, Frank Freels, Paul Freels.  Others voting against school funding in 2011 and 12 include:

Steve Graves

Mike Akins

Moe Taylor

Billy Geminden

David Satterfield

Joe Matthews

Jo Skidmore

Bob Pospisil

Sometimes voting for and sometimes against school funding were Paige Brown Strong and Shawn Utley.

Voting records are permanent and cannot be escaped by one summer of "good" behavior.