At the meeting the board’s legislative liaison, identified in the session as "Mister Tate," updated members on education topics expected during the next state legislative session and urged board members to build relationships with their state representatives.

Tate said there were about 20,000 vouchers available in the previous year and that voucher spending totaled roughly $148 million; he warned there is a push to increase the voucher allocation and funding in the coming session. "One of the main things is to stay in contact with our representatives and senators," he said, and he reported he has been in contact with Brock Martin and is coordinating a meeting with state representatives Ed Jackson and Kirk Kasman after the legislative session starts.

Tate listed topics likely to arise statewide, including virtual-school regulation, discussion of recall elections for school-board members, and oversight actions in Shelby County where the state has intervened. He said two-thirds of recent voucher awards went to five counties (Shelby, Knox, Hamilton, Davidson and Williamson), and that 86 of Tennessee’s 95 counties have had at least one voucher participant.

During the discussion Director of Schools (name not specified) said Henderson County had a very small number of voucher users—"I think there were only 4 total students this past year that in Henderson County that took advantage of the voucher"—and noted the district currently does not have a school participating in the voucher program.

Tate described the board’s ability to make its voice heard by inviting lawmakers to meet with the board after session start; he encouraged individual board members to cultivate relationships with state legislators rather than relying solely on his liaison role.

Next steps: Tate said he will work to schedule a meeting where the named legislators will attend a school board meeting and field questions; no formal board policy or position was adopted on vouchers during the recorded segments.