Hamilton County school board calls on state for $12 million more annually

Gerald McCormick
Gerald McCormick

Christmas is over, but Hamilton County's school board still hopes to get the gift of about $12 million in additional money from the state of Tennessee, which would boost the state's annual contribution to about $145 million.

At its Dec. 18 meeting, the board of education voted unanimously to ask the state to fully fund the Basic Education Program, the formula under which state education dollars are allocated to Tennessee schools.

Hamilton County's resolution cites the annual Nov. 1 report by the state's Basic Education Program Review Committee.

The top two recommendations in the 153-page document are for the state to contribute more to local districts for teachers' salaries and to pay school districts' full cost for 12 months of insurance premiums, instead of the current 10 months.

Hamilton County's resolution echoes that, calling on the state to give it $10,000 more per teacher annually and to pay the school's district insurance premiums year-round.

Whether the state complies remains to be seen.

This isn't the first year that the BEP review committee has recommended the changes, which would cost the state about $515 million, according to a table in the committee report. That $515 million is less than 2 percent of the state's roughly $34 billion annual budget, according to Hamilton County's resolution.

"We've never gotten it fully funded," said Signal Mountain school board member Jonathan Welch, who has led the charge locally for full BEP funding from the state.

But House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick, R-Chattanooga, said coming up with $515 million would require either tax increases or cuts to existing programs.

"Did they suggest how we come up with the money?" McCormick asked. "That would be my question to them. We would love to fully fund the BEP. But the money's not there."

Welch thinks state officials could find the money if they wanted to.

He cited Tennessee Promise, Gov. Bill Haslam's new scholarship program that guarantees to cover the costs of a two-year college degree. It's funded with interest on $312.5 million taken from the Tennessee Lottery's surplus fund and put into an irrevocable trust.

Hixson school board member Greg Martin said school funding "needs to be the priority of the governor and Legislature. It needs to be one of the top priorities of this legislative session."

Welch has suggested that Hamilton County and other school districts could sue the state to fully fund the BEP -- and he still isn't ruling that out as a proposal he'd bring to the school board.

"If something doesn't happen, it may become the only route," Welch said.

Contact staff writer Tim Omarzu at tomarzu @timesfreepress.com or www.facebook.com/tim.omarzu or twitter.com/TimOmarzu or 423-757-6651.

Upcoming Events