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Public Charter School Commission projects enrollment growth, asks Legislature to maintain appropriation
Summary
The Tennessee Public Charter School Commission told senators it expects enrollment growth (adding two schools and 13 grade expansions) that will increase pass‑through TISA dollars; the commission says its 3% authorizer fee now covers nearly all operations but still needs a general appropriation backstop due to revenue volatility.
Tess Stovall, executive director of the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission, told the Senate Education Committee the commission is positioned to remain largely self‑sustaining but needs a general appropriation as a backstop because authorizer fee revenues can fluctuate with enrollment and local revenue.
"Our authorizer fee is collected of 3% of the state and local funds that go to our charter schools," Stovall said. She said the commission currently oversees 24 public charter schools serving around 8,000 students and expects to grow to 26 schools serving approximately 10,000 students in the 2627 school year as two new schools open and 13 schools add grades.
Stovall also answered questions about staffing and operations: one position begins imminently, a second is being recruited and the third will be considered depending on enrollment growth. On the Education Freedom Scholarships program, she said the commission’s student information system shows withdrawals but does not track whether those students used the scholarship to enroll in private schools.
When asked about two commission‑authorized schools on the priority list, Stovall described the statutory three‑year priority cycle and said the commission has placed those schools on probation and is using intervention supports guided by the Department of Education; if schools remain on the priority list at the next cycle the commission must consider revocation.
