AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, relative to education funding.
Summary
SB2477 revises Tennessee’s statutory definition of “economically disadvantaged” for purposes of education funding. Under the bill, the term would include: students identified in Tennessee’s ESSA plan as homeless, foster, runaway, or migrant; students eligible for free or reduced-price school meals or milk through direct certification; and students enrolled in the state Medicaid program. The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Section 49-3-104, which is part of the state’s education funding framework.
The practical effect is to update the categories used to identify students who count as economically disadvantaged when calculating TISA allocations. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026, and applies to TISA funding for the 2026-2027 school year and each year after. By broadening and clarifying the definition, the measure could affect how state education dollars are distributed to school districts based on student need.
Impact
SB2477 changes Tennessee’s education funding law by replacing the existing statutory definition of “economically disadvantaged” in Title 49, Section 49-3-104. The revised definition ties the term to federal ESSA categories, direct certification for free or reduced-price meals or milk, and Medicaid enrollment. This affects which students are counted for TISA allocations, potentially influencing the amount of state funding districts receive beginning with the 2026-2027 school year.
Sentiment
Based on the available record, there is no committee transcript or vote history showing debate, opposition, or amendments, so the overall sentiment cannot be measured directly from discussion. The bill’s text suggests a technical, administrative update to align funding definitions with existing eligibility data sources, which typically indicates a policy aimed at improving consistency and implementation rather than a controversial substantive change.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. If concerns were raised, they would likely center on how expanding or clarifying the economically disadvantaged definition could change TISA funding distributions among districts, the administrative burden of using Medicaid and direct certification data, or whether the new definition accurately captures student need. However, the record provided does not show any identified opponents or disputed provisions.