NASHVILLE — Gov. Bill Haslam said Thursday he was both “surprised” and “disappointed” that school boards in Hamilton and six nearby counties sued the state over state education funding one day after he met with the superintendents of Tennessee’s four largest systems.
“Sure I was surprised from the discussion we had had,” Haslam told reporters. “And disappointed. Because I don’t think that’s how you solve problems. Because we really are making an effort to address that situation.”
Haslam said “nobody can say we had a budget that ignored education. We put $144 million in this year’s budget. And if you’ve been around the state budget and realize how little new money there is to use, that’s a significant commitment.”
The Republican governor said “we’re looking at doing everything we can to do more. I just don’t know how a lawsuit helps that.”
This week’s Chancery Court lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Nashville, alleges the state has underfunded its Basic Education Program funding formula, which distributes the state share of funds for public education.