Capitol Hill Week In Review

Joint Working Group on Federal Education Funding

Last week, the Tennessee State Senate and speakers announced the creation of a new Joint Working Group on Federal Education Funding and I was appointed to serve on it. The working group will study the impact federal education funding has in and out of the classroom. That includes the restrictions, mandates, and additional regulations required by the Federal Department of Education, and whether the state can provide similar services without taking federal dollars.

Federal dollars always come with strings attached that could be antithetical to Tennessee’s education values and strip us of autonomy in educating our students. Some requirements that come with these federal funds could also adversely affect our budgets, possibly mandating even more spending than the federal government provides. Presently we receive approximately 1.8 billion dollars from the federal government out of the total of 15 billion we spend on education each year, with some fluctuation depending on budget and tax collections.

We don’t yet have the answers to these questions and concerns and that’s why this working group has been created. It’s important that we understand the full scope of the potential impacts of these federal dollars and take the time to explore our options.

The working group is bipartisan, comprised of both House and Senate members, and has been tasked with the following responsibilities:

Identify the amount of federal funding the state and political subdivisions of the state receive for educational programs and purposes and the laws associated with accepting such funds.

Examine how the state and the political subdivisions of the state use or intend to use the federal education funding and whether there are conditions or requirements to accepting such funds.

Report on the feasibility of the state rejecting the federal education funding.

Recommend a strategy on how to reject certain federal funding or how to eliminate unwanted restrictions placed on the state due to the receipt of such federal funds.

I am honored to serve on the working group and look forward to better understanding the requirements that come with federal education funding and helping determine what’s best for education in Tennessee. Like every other state, federal funding is a critical resource in Tennessee’s education system, but it should not come at the expense of our own priorities, values and autonomy. Tennessee determines its own education system, not the federal government. This working group is a first step in identifying potentially negative impacts of federal education funding and coming up with solutions.

My Senate colleagues appointed to serve in the working group include Senators Jon Lundberg, Raumesh Akbari, Bill Powers and Dawn White. House members appointed to the working group include Representatives Debra Moody, John Ragan, Timothy Hill, William Slater and Ronnie Glynn.

The group will submit its report and recommendations to the chairs of several committees in January, 2024. At that time, the general assembly will look at the feasibility and benefits of rejecting federal dollars, and this committee is looking into all the ramifications and trying to determine what is best for education in TN. I look forward to this group’s findings so stay tuned for updates moving forward.

Contact Senator Hensley at

425 5th Avenue North, Suite 746

Nashville TN 37243

615-741-3100

Toll Free 1-800-449-8366

ext. 13100

Fax 615-253-0231

855 Summertown Highway

Hohenwald TN 38462

Phone 931-796-2018

Cell Phone 931-212-8823

E-mail:

[email protected]