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School board to urge Tennessee to fully fund $4 million LEA performance bonus after prorating
Summary
Board members previewed a resolution asking the governor and General Assembly to fully fund the high‑performing LEA bonus after Rutherford County’s earned $4 million was heavily prorated; staff warned changes in state accountability metrics could shrink next year’s bonus pool.
Board member Tidwell introduced a resolution the board will present Thursday urging the Tennessee governor’s office and General Assembly to fully fund the High Performing Local Education Agency (LEA) bonus.
Staff explained that Rutherford County had earned the full $4,000,000 high‑performance bonus in the most recent cycle but received a prorated payment after the statewide appropriation — $17 million — fell short of the total earned amount. "Because the statewide appropriation was insufficient to fully fund…bonuses were prorated," staff said, and the district received roughly two‑and‑a‑half million instead of the full $4 million earned.
The resolution asks that the bonus be fully funded and recurring so qualifying districts can plan and reinvest the award rather than seeing the benefit diluted. Staff also raised an accounting complication: when funds arrive after the fiscal year ends (after June 30), they currently roll into fund balance; the resolution requests a mechanism or accounting code so funds intended for the prior academic year can be used for that year’s budget rather than being absorbed by year‑end fund‑balance rules.
Board and staff also discussed incoming changes to the state accountability model that could reduce the number of level‑5 schools and shrink future eligibility. Staff described a move from a growth index to an "effect size" metric that would reduce the count of level‑5 schools in Rutherford County from 30 to about 12 in the example presented — a recalculation the staff said would cut next year’s bonus potential roughly in half unless the legislature adjusts funding.
The resolution will be formally presented Thursday; the work session discussion directed staff to include clarifying accounting language and to coordinate with TSBA and legislators if the resolution does not gain traction at the state level.
