The Rhea County School Board passed on making a resolution to its next meeting on accepting the $2,000 pay raise for teachers that was included in the Education Freedom Act recently passed by the Tennessee State Legislature.
Bryant Collins, Assistant Director of Schools, brought up the matter at the beginning of the regular board meeting. “As you know the Education Freedom Act passed in the legislature. Part of the Act was a $2,000 bonus required for teachers which will only be reimbursed by the state if we do a resolution. That’s something you all need to talk about. I was wondering how you all wanted to handle this.”
Board Chairman John Mincy said that the Tennessee State School Board Association told him that if they don’t pass the resolution the teachers would not get the money. He said, “I have a hard time voting for something that I don’t support. That’s just about extortion to me. We're between a rock and a hard place with this law. I want the teachers to get the raise.” He said they thought they had til June 1 to pass a resolution.
Chairman Mincy suggested that they get legal advice from the School Board's attorney before they proceed any further.
Governor Bill Lee on Wednesday signed the legislation designed to drastically expand school voucher access throughout the Volunteer State that will allow families to use taxpayer dollars on private school expenses regardless of income.
“What’s most important to know is that this language doesn’t change anything about the state’s obligation as it currently stands to educate children,” Governor Lee told reporters on Wednesday after signing the bill into law during a ceremony. “But for this scholarship, it’s only available to Tennessee citizens.”
Tennessee’s new voucher program allows 20,000 education vouchers of around $7,000 each to become available in the 2025-26 school year. Half of those would go to students who are lower income, disabled or otherwise able to participate in the new voucher program, but any student entitled to attend a public school could access the remaining 10,000. Education Freedom Scholarships will allow residents of Tennessee who have a child entitled to attend a public school in grades K-12 to use state funds toward education expenses, including tuition and/or fees at registered Category I, II, or III private schools located in Tennessee.
The Act does include a $2,000 bonus for public school teachers. But many educators who would be eligible for the extra cash are dismissing it as a diversion tactic.
Some opponents are calling Governor Lee’s bonus offer an attempted bribe, or “hush money,” as he seeks to expand policies that provide public funding for students to attend private schools. Others say it’s insulting to teaching professionals who have spent their careers advocating for their students, and for more funding to support them.
Tennessee is one of 12 states that currently have a voucher system. Arkansas, Alabama and North Carolina, states that are adjacent to Tennessee, also have the voucher system.
Under old business the board voted to move forward with the Tennessee School Board Association conducting a search for the replacement for Director of Schools Jessie Messimer. Chairman Mincy said they would like to have the replacement on board as soon as possible so the person could have time to become acquainted with the school system before they take over.