Franklin County Schools Resolution Opposes Governor’s Scholarship
by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer
At the Dec. 11 meeting, the Franklin County School Board voted to endorse a Tennessee School Board Association resolution opposing Governor Bill Lee’s proposed Education Freedom Scholarship Act that would siphon money from public education by awarding vouchers for private and homeschool education. The board also approved a budget resolution reimbursing schools for assuming the debt for over $8,000 in unpaid student lunch charges in the 2022-2023 school year.
“I’m not opposed to private schools, but to public money supporting private schools,” said board member Sara Leichty explaining her opposition to the Scholarship Act. The proposed legislation, expected to be voted on when the Tennessee legislature reconvenes in 2024, would award 10,000 vouchers to disabled and disadvantaged students and 10,000 to others in the 2024-2025 school year. Vouchers would become universally available to students in the 2025-2026 school year, projected amount $7,075 per student. Public schools receive funding based on the number of students enrolled. Board member Sarah Marhevsky pointed out in Florida which adopted a similar voucher program, in the past three years the amount of education funding awarded to the affluent private sector increased from 3 percent to 10 percent, leaving the public schools to educate the economically disadvantaged since the vouchers alone were not sufficient to pay private school tuition. Further criticizing vouchers, Liechty observed private schools were not held to the same accountability and testing standards as public schools.
The resolution stressed that 32 percent of Franklin County public school students came from an economically disadvantage background and the district offered an array of programs and services often not available in private schools and the homeschool setting, including special education for the 15 percent of students with disabilities, career and technical education, dual enrollment for college and trade schools, Advanced Placement courses, band, and mental health resources.
“Public education is the bedrock of this country’s strength. We are where we are because of education for all,” Leichty insisted. “Do not weaken the foundation of public education. [The Education Freedom Scholarship Act] is all about putting money in the hands of private industry.”
Marhevsky encouraged concerned community members to contact their state legislators and voice disapproval of the Education Freedom Scholarship Act.
Providing background on the budget resolution to repay schools who assumed $8,633 in debt for unpaid student lunch charges, Leichty explained during the COVID pandemic all schools offered free lunch; following the pandemic some continued the free lunch program and others did not. “The schools were not the responsible party [for the unpaid charges],” Leichty said. “The money should have come from the fund balance.” The reimbursed schools “will move up to the free lunch program in January,” said Director of Schools Cary Holman. Only two schools will not offer free lunch. “Those two schools did not close the year with any [lunch charges] debt,” Leichty said. “They are small elementary schools, and they have benefactors that take care of them.”
Updating the board on the impact of the state sales-tax holiday on school funding, Deputy Director of Finances Jenny Phillips said, “We’re doing okay.” Revenue was approximately $34,000 lower than last year, but the schools were receiving a boost from unpaid tax revenue. Since Home Depot opened, Decherd had received $712,000 in tax revenue that should have gone to Winchester, and half that amount should have gone to the Franklin County public schools. The district also received an $800,000 growth payment from the state due to increased enrollment.
The school policy standardization review being undertaken by Human Resources Supervisor Linda Foster revealed a policy inaccuracy that did not reflect the state law change several years ago that forbade revoking the driver’s licenses of students who did not receive passing grades. The board voted to remove the driver’s license revocation clause from the Reporting Student Progress policy.