Tennessee school district that shut down over funding looks to join BEP lawsuit

Students exit a school bus.
Students exit a school bus.

The struggle Clay County is facing is reflective of what we're facing here.

The superintendent of a tiny school district that shut down temporarily last week over funding problems is revisiting the lawsuit the Hamilton County Department of Education filed against the state over a lack of funding.

"I used to think the problem was about equity," Clay County Superintendent Jerry Strong said. "But it's about adequacy."

The school board in his northern Middle Tennessee county voted last week to cancel school in the rural district, saying the Clay County Commission has not provided it with a budget large enough to offset education mandates handed down by the state.

Strong said he used to be concerned that Tennessee's Basic Education Program - the state's funding formula for education - allotted more money to large school districts like Hamilton County, placing the 1,200 Clay County students at an unfair disadvantage.

"Now I see that I gain nothing from taking away from Hamilton County financially to help Clay County, because you're in the same mess, just at a different proportion," Strong said. "The funding pie is just too small."

Hamilton County, along with seven other school districts, filed a lawsuit in March claiming that BEP does not fund the true cost of education. It contends the funding formula deprives students of a free and equal education, which the Tennessee General Assembly is obligated under the Constitution to provide.

Strong said he plans to talk to the chairman of Clay County's school board about joining Hamilton County's lawsuit, although he said his district cannot help with costs.

"We simply can't afford the expense," Strong said.

Hamilton County school board attorney Scott Bennett did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday, but Strong said they are talking.

"The struggle Clay County is facing is reflective of what we're facing here," said Jonathan Welch, chairman of the Hamilton County Board of Education.

In Clay County, as in Hamilton County, the County Commission controls the school district's purse strings. Clay County commissioners rejected the school board's request this year for a budget increase of $200,000 to help offset state mandates, including additional costs from the Affordable Care Act. In response, the school board did not approve a budget, meaning one was not turned into the state by the Oct. 1 deadline. Missing that meant no BEP funding, at least at the moment.

Officials at the Tennessee Department of Education said they could not comment Tuesday on what will happen if Clay County cannot approve a budget and schools become in danger of not meeting the state requirement of providing 180 school days.

Strong said that in the past five years Clay County has been given more than $700,000 in recurring mandates from the state that are unfunded. In a budget of less than $10 million, that's significant, especially since the majority of the district's budget goes to payroll and state and federal mandated spending, according to Strong.

Clay County has trimmed the already tight budget by about $840,000 by consolidating a school, laying off employees, and offering incentive retirements to rid the district of pricey, experienced teachers.

"Any more cuts will adversely affect education of students in Clay County, and we will not be doing our job," Strong said.

Insurance costs alone for the Clay County Schools system increased by $200,000 this year under the Affordable Care Act, meaning that unless more money is found, the school system could be forced to start next year about $50,000 in the red, Strong said.

Each of the eight Clay County commissioners whose numbers were listed on the county's website Tuesday were called, but no one responded for comment. Two commissioners did not have numbers posted.

Clay County students now are back in school due to a court order after two parents filed a lawsuit.

A hearing in the case is expected soon. Pending the outcome, Strong is not sure what to expect for his school district, he said.

Contact staff writer Kendi Anderson at kendi.anderson@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6592. Follow her on Twitter @kendi_and.

Upcoming Events