Federal K-12 funding in TN: 5 takeaways from second day of hearings on rejecting money

School district leaders from across the state and researchers expressed caution and uncertainty Tuesday as Tennessee considers rejecting nearly $1.9 billion in federal funding for K-12 education and replacing the money with state dollars.

Representatives from several school districts testified before the working group studying the feasibility of rejecting the funds during its second day of meetings. The 10-member legislative working group will continue meetings Wednesday and through next week.

House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, have tasked the group with recommending a strategy before the legislature reconvenes in January. Republican proponents of such a move have cited the requirements that come along with federal funding.

By the close of the second day meetings, no lawmaker on the panel had specified any "strings" attached to federal education funding they find controversial or objectionable. Testimony on Tuesday instead focused on the critical role federal funding plays in Tennessee's education system.

If the panel recommends rejecting the funds and lawmakers act on it, Tennessee would set a national precedent for making such a move.

Here are five key takeaways from the second day of meetings.

Chair: Review is about 'strings attached' — not cutting funding

As the panel resumed after a break for lunch on Tuesday, working group co-chair Sen. Jon Lundberg, R-Bristol, reminded the room that the group is working to review "strings attached" to federal K-12 dollars ― not just to consider rejecting them. Lundberg is chair of the Senate Education Committee, and will be a key voice on the issue, particularly if the state moves forward with turning down federal funds.

“We’re not taking about the dollars, we’re talking about taking away, frankly, those strings," Lundberg said. "What kind of onus comes on the state when we receive those federal dollars? What do we ... then pass down to you? And then what do we pass down to those schools?"

Sexton and others have said that if the state does reject federal funding, the state would continue to pay for programs funded by that money.

"It's not about cutting programs in any way, shape or form," Lundberg said.

District leaders emphasize importance of federal funds, struggle with hypotheticals

Leaders from four school districts spoke during the afternoon meeting Tuesday, including:

• Matt Hixson, director, Hawkins County School District

• Marlon King, superintendent, Jackson-Madison County School System

• Toni Williams, superintendent, Memphis-Shelby County Schools

• Hank Clay, chief of staff, Metro Nashville Public Schools

Each shared how their districts use federal funding, emphasizing the importance of federal dollars to programs like nutrition and supporting students with disabilities.

'Just listen': Why disability advocates are warily eyeing federal education funding debate

Williams said many school districts are already picking and choosing where to invest, including for maintenance on aging school buildings. Last year, Williams said, the district had to close down one elementary school after part of its roof collapsed.

Rep. John Ragan, R-Oak Ridge, asked each leader to weigh in on how they would operate if they did not have the "strings" attached to federal funding. In essence, he said, it could free up their time and resources for other things.

None of the leaders gave a direct answer to the question. Some talked about how many needs there still are for schools of all sizes, even with federal, state and local funding in place. Others said they are well-accustomed with handling accountability and reporting for funds they receive.

When Sen. Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis, later posed the same question, all four leaders remained silent.

Rep. Ronnie Glynn, D-Clarksville, pointed out that even state money carries reporting and accountability requirements.

“There’s strings with any money that you get," Glynn said, eliciting clicks and snaps from the audience.

None of the lawmakers on the panel shared what specific strings attached to federal funding they find controversial or objectionable.

Tensions over protest signs linger after special session

A few dozen people gathered in the center of the room, most of them holding signs that had messages like "eyes wide open" and "our taxes, our choice." At the start of the meeting, co-chair Rep. Debra Moody, R-Covington, reiterated the rule that signs should remain at eye level or lower.

The Sergeant at Arms approached people several times during the morning to ask them to lower their signs. The crowd remained largely quiet throughout both the morning and afternoon sessions, but snapped or clicked to show their support at times.

Nobody was removed from the meetings. But tension over signs and how high members of the public can hold them shows the issue is not likely to go away.

During August's special legislative session about guns, mental health and public safety, tensions flared as members of the public were told they could not carry signs of any kind inside the House chamber galleries or committee rooms. It sparked a constitutional lawsuit that ultimately led to the court striking down the rule barring signs.

Sycamore Institute reviews report on federal K-12 funding in Tennessee

Brian Straessle, executive director of The Sycamore Institute, a nonpartisan think tank, and deputy director Mandy Spears presented key findings from their recent report on federal K-12 funding in Tennessee. While the report said the state could technically afford to replace federal K-12 funds with state dollars, it outlined several caveats — including how something like a major economic downturn may affect the state's margins without a federal safety net.

It also further complicates things as federal laws like those protecting civil rights and people with disabilities that still require protections, even without federally funded programs in place. Spears said the administrative burden would shift heavily to the state and local districts to assure those protections are maintained.

Concerns over civil rights surface in discussions

The topic of civil rights became a focal point in a conversation between Rep. William Slater, R-Gallatin, Spears and Straessle. Slater said people should not fear what may happen if Tennessee lawmakers were in charge of decisions when it came to maintaining those protections. He called the U.S. Constitution "a floor, not a ceiling" for rights.

"The state of Tennessee ... can grant more rights, more protections for our citizens than the federal government does," he said. "I don't think that there needs to be really any fear that civil rights are going to be taken away."

"Yeah, right," someone in the crowd spoke out as others coughed and cleared their throats in unison.

Akbari pushed back at Slater's assertion.

"There are people across this state who feel like their rights are being restricted on a daily basis, if you look at the string of lawsuits against the state of Tennessee and the unsuccessful defense of those lawsuits," she said. "We know that someone's interpretation of Constitutional protections could be different than what the court says."

Her statements were met with snaps, clicks and nods from the crowd.

She also expressed concerns about how far the state's surpluses could go to continue funding what federal dollars would otherwise cover, echoing part of what Glynn, said earlier in the discussion. Akbari and Glynn are the only two Democrats in the working group.

How to attend, watch future meetings

• Wednesday, Nov. 8 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. — U.S. Department of Education and the National Conference of State Legislatures

• Tuesday, Nov. 14 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. — Tennessee Department of Education

• Wednesday, Nov. 15 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. — The Office of Research and Education Accountability

All meetings are scheduled to take place at the Senate Hearing Room 1 in the Cordell Hull State Office Building located at 425 Rep. John Lewis Way N in Nashville. A full schedule and links to watch the meetings can be found at wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/schedule.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Federal education funding in TN: Takeaways from second day of hearings