Governor calls for revision of school funding in state

JACKSON, Tenn. — School funding may be getting a new makeover.

“Every voice matters. I want to reiterate that. Every voice matters,” said Penny Schwinn, Tennessee’s Education Commissioner.

It’s out with the old, and in with the new.

Gov. Bill Lee announced a plan of action to revise school funding systems in the state. And they want to include everyone in that decision-making process.

“More of a student-based funding strategy than a system-based funding strategy. Understanding the individual needs of students so that parents can see how dollars are invested for their student’s individual needs,” Gov. Lee said.

Schwinn says during the next few months, a series of committees will be set up to gain feedback on what each individual child needs to have a successful education.

This includes hearing directly from the people that matter the most.

“Our parents, our teachers, our student voice. It is thinking about our business community, our chambers of commerce, people who are zeroed and focused on things like fiscal responsibility, on outcomes, and post secondary readiness,” Schwinn said.

The current funding program has been in place for 30 years.

Chester County Schools Superintendent Troy Kilzer says the needs of schools have changed since then, and each district wants to make sure they are giving their students the best.

“We need to be as competitive as the next school district for preparing the next labor force ready to walk into those jobs,” Kilzer said.

Madison County Commissioner Jeff Wall says while revising it will take a long time, it is a step in the right direction.

“The biggest thing is to be able to prioritize our education for our students over systems,” Wall said.

Wall says he thinks the governor’s idea to include the community is something that will benefit not just the districts, but the students themselves.

“Parents, local elected officials, people involved that understand that process. To really be able to go through and dig in to how that process is currently working and what can be changed to make it work better for our local school systems,” Wall said.

If you would like to get involved with the conversation, visit tn.gov/education/tnedufunding.

Schwinn says you can leave comments that will go directly to committees, or you can also sign up to be in a committee.

Gov. Lee says catering to the individual student will also help them give students with disabilities the tools they need for a successful education.

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