Lincoln County High School STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and robotics teacher Marty LeBlanc believes a simple change to education funding rules could open important opportunities for her students.¶
LeBlanc’s community of Fayetteville lies close to the Tennessee border and just a short drive from Huntsville, Alabama. She says many of her students end up seeking jobs in Huntsville, but her school faces a barrier in tailoring career and technical education (CTE) programs to those jobs.¶
Existing rules for federal Perkins V dollars and state funding that would pay for those programs require alignment with Tennessee-based industries. LeBlanc says Huntsville’s aerospace, defense, engineering, and technology industries are unlike anything the Volunteer State offers.¶
“It’s the mecca of engineering, sitting right at our back door, but when we look at what we can offer our students, we can not count anything in Huntsville because it’s not in the state of Tennessee,” said LeBlanc. “If we could count the labor data from across the state line, that would open up numerous opportunities for our students.”¶
LeBlanc says programs that would help prepare her students for a Huntsville-based cybersecurity career are a good example of industries that don’t meet those existing funding requirements.¶
Making the Case to Lawmakers
Earlier this year, LeBlanc made four recommendations to state lawmakers and education leaders to address the issue she says affects border school districts in other parts of Tennessee as well. They include:¶
- Expanding the Labor Market Definition: Allow districts bordering other states to incorporate cross-state labor data into CTE needs assessments and program planning.
- Flexible Perkins V Guidance: Update Tennessee's Perkins V guidelines to recognize regional economic zones, particularly for counties adjacent to large metropolitan areas in bordering states.
- Regional Funding Adjustments: Modify Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) direct funding calculations to support CTE alignment with cross-border workforce trends.
- Encouraging Cross-State Partnerships: Support partnerships between Tennessee schools and out-of-state employers for work-based learning, dual credit, and certification opportunities.
LeBlanc says she’s already had positive discussions with lawmakers, and she plans to work towards passing legislation next year that either implements her proposed changes or allows for a pilot program in Lincoln County.¶
She says the proposed changes only make logical sense for a small community that’s just across the border from 275,000 jobs.¶
“It doesn’t cost the state anything new, and it just aligns the education policies with the real world that our students are preparing to enter,” said LeBlanc. “I started working on this issue simply because of my students. Since I’ve been teaching here in Lincoln County, I’ve watched a lot of students graduate, step into careers, they’re going to Huntsville, Alabama, and I want to make sure the programs we offer match the opportunities that they’re actually pursuing.”¶
