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Education commissioner details $2.3B in recurring K–12 investments, progress on literacy and funding distribution
Summary
Commissioner Lizette Reynolds told the Finance, Ways and Means Committee that Tennessee has increased recurring K–12 funding by about $2.3 billion since 2020 and that federal and state one‑time investments supported literacy, tutoring and safety work.
Lizette Reynolds, Tennessee’s commissioner of education, told the Finance, Ways and Means Committee on Oct. 29 that the department has overseen a substantial increase in state education funding since 2020 and that assessment and recovery programs supported by federal and one‑time state dollars have contributed to student gains in reading and math.
“Since 2020, Tennessee students have made meaningful gains in literacy and math,” Reynolds said, adding that the number of students scoring below expectations is at its lowest point in recent years.
Why it matters: The state’s recurring investments and the administration’s use of federal COVID‑relief dollars affect teacher pay, summer programming, literacy and tutoring initiatives, and school‑safety funding. Lawmakers on the committee requested details on carry‑forward funding, outcome‑bonus distributions under the TISA funding formula and how grant streams were spent.
Highlights from testimony
- Funding increases: Reynolds said the state…
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