These new state laws will impact our local public schools
On July 10, 2023, Hamilton County School Board member Ben Connor hosted a town hall to discuss recent Tennessee legislation impacting local schools. The Tennessee General Assembly finished its session in April, and the legislative body will resume again in January.
Here are a few new laws to know:
Private school vouchers come to HCS: Eligible Hamilton County families will now be able to receive state funds to cover private school expenses. The program was previously limited to Shelby and Davidson counties. Another law also expanded the criteria for eligibility.
Update to third grade retention law: Beginning next school year, Tennessee third graders will have additional ways to show reading proficiency to determine whether they must attend a summer program to move to fourth grade.
Student resource officer (SRO) funding: Local law enforcement agencies can apply for up to $75,000 in grant funds per SRO to place a security officer in every school under their jurisdiction. Hamilton County Schools, which employs school safety officers (SSO) separate from the SRO employed by the sheriff’s office, are looking for ways to use the grant money to fund SSO as well.
Paid parental leave for teachers: Teachers will now receive six weeks of paid parental leave, and the state will reimburse school districts for the salary payments made during employees’ leave.
Teacher-in-training scholarships: Certain students enrolled in certified teacher training programs can receive scholarships to pay for their tuition and fees in return for four-years of teaching in a high-need county or in a subject with a shortage of teachers.
You can watch the full school board meeting on YouTube and can direct legislation-related questions to Connor.
His email is: connor_ben@hcde.org
You can find a calendar of school board meetings here.
- Compiled by William Newlin. Email him at william@chattamatters.com.