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Governor’s School Funding Plan Boosts Special School Funding, Cuts County

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NASHVILLE (February 24) — The much touted Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) funding plan, proposed by Governor Bill Lee, would provide substantially more funding for the five special school districts in Carroll County while almost zeroing the funding for the Carroll County School System. The county system, which operates the buses and high school technology center in Huntingdon, would lose millions of dollars in annual funding should the plan be approved by the Tennessee General Assembly.

If approved, TISA will replace the 30-plus-year-old BEP formula. The new formula was developed after many town hall meetings and input and feedback from many stakeholders. Locally, the proposed funding increases for the five special school districts of McKenzie, Huntingdon, West Carroll, Hollow Rock-Bruceton and Clarksburg (South Carroll). However, the county school system would suffer financially.

Based on current estimates by the Tennessee Department of Education, McKenzie Special School District would receive an additional $1,189,941.18 in fiscal year 2024. Huntingdon would receive an additional $1,648,875; West Carroll would receive an additional $185,598; Hollow Rock-Bruceton would receive an additional $532,620; and Clarksburg would receive an additional $90,722.

The bad news is the county system’s state allocation would be reduced by $2,549,290 in FY2024. The allocation in FY23 is $2,592,588.57. The estimated allocated in FY2024 is $43,297.87.

Lynn Watkins, director of the McKenzie Special School District, urged State Representative Tandy Darby (R-Greenfield) to take a careful look at TISA before approval. During a Capitol Talk forum, sponsored by the Carroll County Chamber, Watkins told the representatives that each of the county’s special school districts will receive additional funding, however, the county system would receive less funding.

The special school systems depend on the county to provide bus transportation and vocational education for students from each of the five special school districts. The county system does not operate a K-12 system.