A School Funding Victory in North Carolina
And perhaps a lesson for Tennessee
A recent court ruling in North Carolina could result in billions in new investment in public schools there. A judge ruled that the state must develop a plan to add $1.7 billion in funding to the state’s schools - the state has 30 days to respond.
North Carolina Public Radio has more:
A North Carolina judge has ordered state officers to transfer $1.7 billion from reserves in the state general fund to support an improvement plan for public education within 30 days. The order is the latest milestone in the landmark Leandro court case over public education funding in North Carolina. The judge’s decision prompted immediate criticism from Republican state lawmakers.
Superior Court Judge David Lee's order reflected a plan plaintiffs submitted last week at his request for a proposed remedy to the 27-year-old case. The money would fund the first two years of a remedial plan for public education based on recommendations by an out-of-state consultant WestEd. That plan was approved by the court and all parties to the case.
It’s not clear what the ultimate response from the state’s legislative leaders will be, but so far, the state’s GOP leadership in the legislature has criticized the ruling and indicated no new funding will be forthcoming - this in spite of significant dollars available in the state’s reserve accounts.
Speaking of $1.7 Billion
A state organization tasked with providing research on the operations of state and local government has released a report suggesting Tennessee’s school funding formula, the BEP, needs at least $1.7 billion to adequately fund public education in the state. TACIR — The Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations — released “K-12 Education Funding and Services.”
“Although the changes made in 1992 and since have resulted in substantial increases in funding to support the BEP, meeting local needs and the requirements imposed by the state and federal governments often requires more resources than the BEP funding formula alone provides. Consequently, state and local funding in fiscal year 2017-18 totaled $2.1 billion over and above what was required by the BEP formula, including a total of $1.7 billion in local revenue.”
Comprehensive Review – Tennessee Education Report (tnedreport.com)
Meanwhile, calls are growing for Tennessee to boost school funding:
Tennessee experienced a $2 billion surplus last fiscal year. Imagine what progress we could make if we were to substantially increase the dollars available for our schools. The time is now to ensure that we increase education funding in an effective way that goes beyond simply re-allocating dollars.
TN is ranked 44th in the support we give our teachers and schools, due to the lack of funds, support, and resources from our state leaders. We have to come together to commit to supporting and funding our schools together so that all children across the state have access to a quality public school education and have all the tools they need to graduate and have success in their career, making Tennessee a healthy and well-educated state.