HCS principals condemn TN education bill

By William Newlin

A group of Hamilton County principals issued a statement April 9 opposing a bill in the Tennessee General Assembly that could limit undocumented students’ access to public K-12 education across the state.

Introduced by Sen. Bo Watson, who represents most of Hamilton County, the bill requires students to provide proof of legal United States residency before they can enroll in public schools. Districts could then choose to bar undocumented students from attending or make their parents pay a tuition fee decided by the district. 

Per the bill, tuition would cost at least the same as the yearly base funding amount the state provides to every Tennessee student. For this school year, that’s around $7,000.

“As school principals, we do not support any legislation that would restrict any child’s access to education,” the Hamilton County Principals Association wrote in the release.

The group called on the Hamilton County Commission to approve local policy guaranteeing public school access to every child living in the county. 

“We support the autonomy of our principals, teachers, and staff whenever they use their voices to communicate about their personal beliefs on policy issues that impact themselves, their schools, or their students,” Adison Lambert, HCS communications manager wrote in an email to Chattamatters.

Currently, Hamilton County Schools requires proof of county residency and a parent or guardian’s driver’s license or state-issued ID to register a new student.

While the registration policy says students’ birth certificates and social security numbers are preferred, they’re not required documents.

“HCS is monitoring legislation regarding student enrollment carefully,” Lambert wrote in the same email. “In line with our values of integrity and inclusiveness, we are committed to ensuring all schools are fostering an environment of belonging where each and every student can learn, grow, and thrive.”

UPDATE, April 14: In a 19-13 vote on April 10, senators approved sending Watson’s bill for a vote in the House of Representatives. House members have debated their own version of the bill, which differs by letting school districts decide whether to require proof of legal U.S residency.

However, a note on the bill’s financial impact says approval could lead to the loss of federal education funding by violating civil rights protections for undocumented students. On April 14, members of a House finance committee pushed back their vote until legislators approve a state budget.

Both the House and Senate versions must match before Gov. Bill Lee can sign the bill into law.  

View the full text of the Senate bill here, and the final amendment introduced by Watson, which removed “unnecessary language,” Watson said in an April 1 committee meeting. Despite the amendment, students would still have to provide documentation to enroll.

Read the House version here, and track the bills through this link.