Will teacher raises be approved?

Superintendent Robertson is pushing for a larger share of county property taxes for schools, but the School Board and County Commission still need to sign off. 

By William Newlin

Fast facts:

• Each year, the Hamilton County Commission gives the final approval for the Hamilton County Schools budget

• For years, the school district got about half of county property taxes, but that percentage has dipped recently to 43% 

• Superintendent Robertson is asking for an additional $21 million of local tax revenues to fund an across-the-board raise for teachers 

Who sets the school budget? 

Hamilton County Schools leaders want to boost teacher pay. And as they look to cement a budget for the upcoming year, they’re in the middle of a familiar routine: negotiating with the County Commission for funds.

Unlike in most other states, local education departments in Tennessee don’t have the authority to impose taxes and fund their own budgets. Instead, the School Board passes a budget, drafted by the superintendent, and the County Commission must approve it alongside funding for all other county departments.

“I think the commission always has hard decisions to make, right?” said Marco Perez, District 2 School Board representative and finance committee chair. “Everybody comes to them with requests.”

The School Board plans to vote on the budget on June 20, and the County Commission will vote on June 26.

How are taxes shared with schools?

The county generates revenue from several tax sources. The two biggest — sales and property taxes — get divided between HCS and the county general fund, which pays for the Sheriff’s Office, roads, and other services.

While the state mandates schools receive half of county sales tax revenue, county commissions decide how much property tax revenue to send to schools. In Hamilton County, the schools’ piece of the property tax pie has shrunk in recent years, from about 50% in 2016-2017 to 43% today.

However, the total HCS budget has grown over that time for a couple reasons. Population growth and rising property values have generated more and more county tax revenue, stretching the schools' 43% further. Plus, Tennessee law prevents counties from reducing the total amount of local dollars given to schools year-to-year unless there’s a significant decrease in student population.

Does a higher budget help performance? 

At a May 15 county budget hearing, HCS Superintendent Justin Robertson drew a direct line between higher school budgets and better math and English performances. According to state standardized test data, overall math scores in HCS reached pre-pandemic levels last year, and English Language Arts scores were the highest in seven years.

“We’re performing better than we ever have with more unique needs across our district than there ever has been," Robertson told commissioners.

District 7 Commissioner Lee Helton was skeptical about school district data showing students’ math and English scores improving in line with budget increases since 2021.

“What other counties, peer counties or just all the counties in general — who spends more money per student than us, and what are their results like?” Helton said at the meeting. “I think those are fair questions to ask.”

Perez said it’s difficult to compare spending and outcomes between school districts due to their varying demographics and funding decisions. But better student achievement — and even athletic success — has come with higher HCS budgets, he said.

What kind of raise would teachers get? 

While the School Board has not yet approved a final budget, Superintendent Robertson's proposal includes about $21 million more in county dollars than last year. The increase would boost salaries for all full-time employees, including principals, teachers, and support staff, in an effort to attract and retain talent and to reward performance. 

At a May 15 budget hearing, commissioners did not bring a major challenge to the $21 million request. While Commissioner Jeff Eversole, District 10, said he was concerned about finding the funds, he recognized that the budget had become a “sensitive topic” based on feedback he received from teachers and the seven board members who attended the meeting.

The School Board, while in agreement about the proposed budget total, still must decide how school employees would receive the extra compensation. The options are either a 5% salary increase, which would have a greater impact on higher earners, or a $2,800 flat raise. Currently, the average teacher salary in Hamilton County is about $59,000.

Board members will discuss the budget again on June 6, and based on the commission’s response on May 15, Perez said he isn’t expecting major changes to the proposal.

Get involved

Perez recommended that Hamilton County taxpayers — teachers, parents, and everyone else — make their priorities known to the commission. 

“Because they have to decide from that pie how they're going to spread the money,” he said.

Not sure what county district you live in? Look it up.