MNPS proposes FY26 budget to make ESSER-funded programs permanent, add pay increases and safety investments

Metro Nashville Public Schools officials presented the district’s proposed FY26 operating budget to the Metro Nashville Council Budget & Finance Committee on the evening of the board presentation, asking the council to sustain one-time ESSER investments by moving them into recurring funds and to support planned compensation and safety measures.

“First and foremost, we are very proud, extremely proud of, our school district, receiving a level 5, TVAAS status from the Department of Education for the third year in a row,” Dr. Adrienne Battle, director of schools for Metro Nashville Public Schools, told the committee, citing gains in growth, proficiency and graduation rates that she said the proposed budget is intended to sustain.

The proposal moves roughly $65.5 million of programs funded through the federal ESSER Bridge into the district’s operating fund and includes an estimated $45 million in employee compensation and benefits investments, according to Jorge Robles, chief financial officer for MNPS. Robles said the package proposes a 3% cost‑of‑living adjustment in addition to regular step increases for certificated and support staff and continues pension and health insurance funding.

“Mayor O’Connell proposed a 13% increase for MPS, which is the most significant investment that we’ve had in education today,” Robles said, adding that the mayor’s budget includes $15 million to keep a nurse in every school (that funding is included in the Health Department’s budget). He said a portion of the increase would also cover pass‑through obligations to MNPS‑authorized charter schools (an approximately $13.5 million increase to charter pass‑throughs was noted in the presentation).

Board members and district leaders framed the budget priorities around four…