The School Board Budget Committee’s first meeting Thursday revealed that parents, teachers and administrators want to focus on caring for employees, helping students feel connected at school, and equipping school buildings with facilities and resources they need.
But fewer than 50 people attended the community budget meetings in February and March, and fewer than 25 people filled out the HCDE online survey. Hamilton County has about 45,000 students.
“We are inviting the public through the process as much as possible,” said committee chairman Marco Perez.
As the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement Act enters its second year, Hamilton County schools are expecting to receive a base of about $6,860 per student from the state and from the county. This puts Tennessee with the second-highest base per student in the Southeast, and the 12th highest in the United States, said Mary Ellen Heuton, chief executive officer for HCDE.
The base number is then weighted by school- and student-specific factors like economic or learning differences to reach a final number for the fiscal year, which HCDE expects to have near the end of March.
The new formula is a “student-based” budget model, which went into effect for 2022-2023 after 30 years of a “resource-based" model, called the Basic Education Program.
Superintendent Dr. Justin Robertson has pushed new social, emotional and academic development (SEAD) coaches in every school as part of the department’s commitment to Every Student Belongs in its new strategic plan, Opportunity 2030, unveiled earlier this year. He said SEAD coaches will increase the number of adults schools and relieve teachers of discipline so they can teach.
“I think the staffing model does meet the moment,” said school board member Jill Black. She said principals in her district’s 11 schools are pleased with this proposal, and that having more adults in the building provides the support that teachers have been begging for.
School board member Larry Grohn said discipline has been reported as his district’s "number one problem,” including a "nightmare” of bureaucratic paperwork teachers must submit for every incident.
School board member Rhonda Thurman said she would rather change discipline methods than add another adult to schools.
“I would like to see some more school-based positions, but this isn’t them,” she said. “So far the ‘one more’ has not helped.”
Ms. Thurman said she’d like to see a dedicated janitor at each school instead.
“They take ownership in the school,” she said, citing the Soddy Daisy Middle School bleachers as so dirty they’re almost unfit for use and attract rats and roaches.
Ms. Thurman, along with board member Gary Kuehn, wants to see $10 million in the new budget for capital maintenance, which falls under the Every School Equipped commitment. The outgoing budget allowed $3 million.
“It’s going to affect every student in the school,” she said, adding that “not every student in Hamilton County” has a behavioral, social or emotional need.
“I, too, don’t know that it’s needed everywhere,” said school board member Joe Smith of SEAD coaches, though he pointed out that they would be valuable at some schools.
The new budget, which hovers around $500 million, designates 15 percent for schools to choose how to spend, with guidelines, such as on professional development or summer programs.
Mr. Smith expressed concern that principals of some schools would push arts music to the bottom of the school’s list of priorities if given the autonomy to do so.
Extra-curricular activities, sports and clubs are also falling by the wayside, the group said, meeting only twice a week to once a month.
“That’s not enough,” Mr. Grohn said.
Mr. Smith also expressed concern that parents and grandparents are being effectively blocked from participating in their kids’ day-to-day lessons by technology-based learning, which is so complicated they find it insurmountable.
“We got a lot of parents that want to help but they can’t,” he said, especially parents of elementary school students, he said.
He joined other members of the committee to bemoan the neglect of mowing, trimming and lighting for athletic fields.
“There are just so many needs, it’s almost overwhelming,” Mr. Smith said.
“We’re getting piled up on these things that are 30 and 40 years old,” Dr. Robertson said.
Mr. Kuehn said his top priority is Every Employee Valued. He’d like to see higher salaries and better working conditions and focus on morale for teachers.
HCDE is spending the last of its three years of ESSER funds this fiscal year, with $33 million allocated to the new Tyner Academy Middle High School.
Once the school board approves the budget, probably at its April meeting, the budget will move to the County Commission for final approval.