Speaker Cameron Sexton said leaders in the House and Senate are still working out the details of legislation to create state intervention into Memphis-Shelby County Schools, but one thing that will be proposed is a forensic audit of Memphis-Shelby County Schools to look for fraud abuse and waste.

The bill would require public school districts to collect documentation during enrollment proving students are U.S. citizens, in the process of obtaining citizenship, or hold a legal immigration or visa status. If students cannot provide that documentation, the district could charge them tuition.

The bill, sponsored by Representative Scott Cepicky, R-Culleoka, would require local school districts to integrate 40 minutes of recess time per day for elementary school students. Currently, schools are only mandated to provide 15 minutes of recess per day.

The proposed legislation would allow charter applicants the ability to apply directly to the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission if they want to open a school in a district that has three charter denials overturned in three years.

The bill requires local boards of education and public charter schools to adopt a policy prohibiting students from using any wireless communication devices during instructional time, with some exceptions.

Governor Lee’ is legislation would allow public charter school applicants the ability to apply directly to a state commission in communities with a history of denying charter schools that were later overturned.

The bill, sponsored by Senator Ferrell Haile, R-Gallatin, requires local boards of education and public charter schools to adopt a policy prohibiting students from using any wireless communication devices during instructional time, with some exceptions.

Multiple lawmakers on the House Education Administration Subcommittee expressed an interest Tuesday in requiring school districts to be more open to military recruitment and potentially require them to provide students the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test.

Beginning in the 2025/2026 school year, the State Board can call for an accountability hearing for any district operating a school that receives an “F” letter grade for the two previous years, or a school whose grade slips from a “D” to “F” in the previous two years.

The plan would reduce TSU's budget deficit by $32-37 million over the next two fiscal years through staff cuts, scholarship caps, hiring freezes and other cuts.

If passed by lawmakers, Senator Dawn White’s bill would make the $5,000 scholarship available to undergraduates and those with an existing degree that are seeking a teaching license, including the roughly 5 thousand Tennesseans who are teaching on a 3-year-permit.

The bill, brought by Representative Rebecca Alexander R-Jonesborough, would require local boards of education and public charter schools to adopt a policy prohibiting students from using any wireless communication devices during instructional time, with a few exceptions.

A new Comptroller Report released this week found all of Tennessee’s locally administered school districts received more money during fiscal year 2023/2024 when the state’s new TISA school funding formula went into effect than the prior year.

The School District Capital Improvements Investment Trust Act, sponsored by Representative Kirk Haston R-Lobelville, would allow local school boards to invest any surplus money into the account, which could then only be used for repairs, new building projects, and other capitol improvements for that district.

Explosive program growth and a drop in lottery revenues prompted Tennessee Higher Education Commission officials to warn state lawmakers of a projected shortfall in funding for Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship programs.

The more than $400 million dollar piece of legislation, frequently referred to by opponents as “school vouchers,” will allow up to 20 thousand children across the state to use taxpayer dollars for private school expenses.

In a presentation before lawmakers of the House Education Committee, State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) representatives outlined several five year goals that would dramatically increase not only student proficiency rates in schools but would also help set students up for success in both post-secondary education and ultimately in their careers. 

Fresh off the passage of his plan to let parents use tax dollars to send children to private school during last month’s special session, Lee used the annual address to unveil multiple new proposals for education that would be funded by the Governor’s proposed $59.5 billion state budget.

Senate Democratic Party leaders released a statement Tuesday night attacking newly filed legislation that would authorize school districts to refuse to admit undocumented children.

Members of the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) Legislative Council voted down multiple proposed rule changes largely designed to make it easier for high school athletes to transfer schools at a meeting Tuesday morning.