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MNPS outlines budget priorities and flags voucher impacts on revenue
Summary
The MNPS school board told the Budget & Finance Committee that sustaining ESSER‑funded programs, strategic employee compensation and safety investments are top priorities; board members said two state voucher programs could cost the district millions and that details on a new voucher (voucher 2) are not yet clear.
Metro Nashville Public Schools presented budget priorities to the Budget & Finance Committee, citing continued strategic use of ESSER funds, moves to transition successful ESSER programs into operating budgets, and an emphasis on employee compensation and school safety, School Board Chair Freda Player said at a February meeting.
Why it matters: the district must translate temporary federal ESSER investments into long‑term operating decisions and the board said it is still assessing how newly enacted state voucher programs will affect local revenue and enrollment.
MNPS described its budget priorities for the coming cycle as: continuing strategic ESSER investments where results are strong; sustaining investments in employee compensation (steps and cost‑of‑living increases); maintaining school nurses and classroom associates; funding social‑emotional learning, tutoring and summer learning; and ongoing safety and security funding. Player told council members the district is "in the middle of our budget process," consulting principals on school‑based budgeting and preparing documents the mayor will receive before the city's April budget submission.
On vouchers, the board explained there are two different state programs in effect: an Education Savings Account (ESA) pilot the presentation called "voucher 1," which the board said is income‑limited and was in place in Davidson and Shelby counties beginning in 2019; and a newly enacted program the presentation called "voucher 2" or the Education Freedom Scholarship that uses the state's per‑pupil amount (TISA) and will start next school year. Player said voucher 1 was described in the presentation as providing about $9,152 per student under the earlier ESA pilot and that voucher 2 was described as roughly $7,295 per student; the board said families must choose one program or the other and cannot combine benefits. "So no, it's either or," Player said when asked by a council member.
The board estimated the local cost of voucher 1 at about $6,000,000 in fiscal 2024 and said that figure could exceed $9,000,000 this year; the presentation said voucher 2's final financial effect is uncertain and that implementation details remain to be determined. The presentation also said a hold‑harmless provision for the new voucher (voucher 2) will maintain state funding levels through the 2026–27 school year regardless of enrollment changes, which affects near‑term local budgeting.
MNPS identified specific capital requests submitted to Metro: $8,000,000 for a day‑care center and $41,000,000 for pre‑K expansion, both listed as subject to available funding. The board also cited ESSER funds totaling $77,000,000 (as reported in the presentation) and referenced the district's ongoing reliance on a mix of federal grants, state allocations (TISA) and local operating funds to cover wages, benefits and program supplements.
Ending: Board members and council members agreed to continue clarifying voucher details and budget figures as the district finalizes its requests for the mayor and council review period.
