State funding formula for schools ‘stuck in time,’ Sen. Gilmore says

NASHVILLE — Sen. Brenda Gilmore (D-Nashville) says the state funding formula for public schools needs to be reformed to address teacher vacancies and student needs at Metro Nashville Public Schools — and across the state.

Democrats in the Tennessee General Assembly are working to bury the false notion that public schools are “fully funded.” On Jan. 29, a group of party leaders called for an $1.5 billion state investment to enhance teacher pay and increase the number of state-funded educators, nurses and social workers.

“While schools and the needs of students have evolved, the broken BEP is stuck in time and this flawed funding formula has had dramatic consequences for the students and families of Nashville,” Sen. Gilmore said. “Teachers are not paid enough and our schools suffer teacher vacancies and classroom overcrowding. We have too few nurses and social workers to help students manage trauma and adversity so children fall through the cracks. Conquering these challenges and providing the resources our students need and deserve will require intentional investment.”

Senate Democratic Leader Sen. Jeff Yarbro (D-Nashville) says the state funding mechanism for public schools, also known as the Basic Education Program, has created a “structural funding deficit” and new support is needed for the state to meet its constitutional obligation to provide a quality education to Tennessee’s one million public school students.

“The BEP funding formula is fundamentally broken and no longer reflects the realities facing our public school system. We spend a lot of time talking about how to divide the pie between small towns and bigger cities, between rural areas and suburbs, but the reality is there’s just not enough pie,” Yarbro said. “Local governments not only have to pay their share of the broken BEP, but they also have to make up the structural deficit that’s built into this outdated formula, which fails to account for current state policy and what’s best for our kids.

“Tennesseans deserve the governor and legislature to do better by their families,” Yarbro said.

Lawmakers said changes to the state’s funding structure are needed to protect past investments in student achievement and prevent further teacher departures, in addition to attracting new educators to the state. Democratic lawmakers will introduce legislation to focus on three general areas:

• boost teacher pay;
• increase the number of nurses and social workers in schools; and
• update student-to-staff ratios.