Lakeland board advances slate of legislative resolutions, asks TSBA to consider them
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Summary
At a Sept. 2 Lakeland Board of Education work session, members agreed to place several proposed resolutions on next week’s consent agenda asking the legislature and TSBA to consider a task force on school regulations, expanded fee discounts, special-education preschool funding and a return to less-frequent teacher evaluations.
At a Sept. 2 work session, the Lakeland Board of Education agreed to place several proposed resolutions on next week’s consent agenda asking the Tennessee School Boards Association (TSBA) and state lawmakers to consider changes affecting public schools.
The board directed staff to submit a resolution requesting a statewide task force to review and reduce regulatory requirements that apply to public schools. “This is essentially asking for the legislature to take some action to systematically go through the current regulations for public schools,” Dr. Horrell, Lakeland’s superintendent, told members as he introduced the item.
Board members also authorized sending a resolution asking the state to extend eligibility for the Tennessee Public Higher Education Fee Discount Program to public-school employees’ dependents who qualify under existing law. Board staff said the district confirmed the program, as currently written, provides the discount to eligible children; language in the resolution will be clarified so it matches the statute before submission.
A third resolution asks that Tennessee’s TISA (Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement) formula include funding for special-education preschool students. Board members discussed prior efforts to win state funding and described a multi-year advocacy effort that has included visits to legislators and TSBA coordination. Board members asked staff to verify and update dollar amounts and enrollment figures in the draft resolution before it is filed.
Separately, the board agreed to draft a formal statement supporting legislation that would alter the teacher-evaluation cycle so that high-rated teachers face less frequent evaluations, a step board members said they believe would align expectations for public-school teachers with how private-school teachers are evaluated in some cases.
All of the items above were placed on next week’s consent agenda for the board’s business meeting with requested clarifications and updated figures. Board members discussed likely fiscal notes and next steps in outreach, including continuing work with TSBA and Representative Mark White’s office to obtain accurate program and cost data.
Why it matters: The resolutions would ask lawmakers to review regulatory burdens on public schools, change which employees’ dependents qualify for an existing fee discount, and address persistent state funding shortfalls for preschool special-education students — issues board members said affect staffing, program capacity and district budgets.
What’s next: The items will appear on the board’s consent agenda at the business meeting next week after staff revise language and update figures as requested by members.
