School funding uncertainty and potential voucher expansion among the items raised among education leaders attending the Tennessee School Boards Association annual convention.
Putnam County School Board Member Kim Cravens said districts face questions about future state funding as lawmakers prepare for the next legislative session. She said budget decisions could affect staffing and educational opportunities.
“I would say a challenge always facing every system is budget, so we’re always wondering where the funding is going to come in at,” Cravens said. “And then of course with a new legislator turnover, we’re not sure where things will go with that, as far as if they’re going to expand vouchers.”
School board representatives also finalized legislative priorities during the convention’s delegate assembly. Cravens said one issue Putnam County has pushed for several years involves easing restrictions on school fundraising activities, including raffles, cakewalks and giveaways.
“The bulk of our groups in middle and elementary school, you might have a few, but most of them are not 501(c)(3) organizations, which means they can’t even apply for those type of events,” Cravens said.
Cravens said current restrictions require eligible organizations to seek state approval for certain fundraising activities, sometimes more than a year in advance. She said changing those requirements would require a constitutional amendment.
“We just want to be able to do those things that are easy without having to go through the red tape,” Cravens said.
Cravens said Putnam County avoided eliminating existing positions during its last budget cycle by leaving some vacancies unfilled. Cravens said no program cuts are currently anticipated, although future funding decisions remain uncertain.
Cravens said teacher recruitment and retention remain challenges as experienced educators retire. Alternative certification pathways allow individuals with backgrounds in subjects such as math and science to complete teaching requirements while working in classrooms.