School budget gets state attention

By Eddie West Staff Writer

The months long debate concerning Smith County’s 2026-2027 school system’s budget has garnered the attention of state education leaders.

The county’s budget discussions should be a warning sign for Tennessee lawmakers and the next Tennessee governor, warns a Nashville-based Tennessee education advocate, who is calling for additional funding at the state level for school districts throughout the state.

If funding is not increased at the state level for school districts, county taxpayers will have to fill in the gap, warns JC Bowman, Director of Professional Educators of Tennessee. 

While referencing Smith County’s 2026-2027 school budgeting issues, there are a number of reasons state legislators should consider added funding for public school districts.

“…there are common pressures facing K-12 education in Tennessee: the end of ESSER (federal dollars received by school systems due to the COVID pandemic) funding, inflationary pressures, rising personnel costs, the complexities of the state funding formula (TISA—Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement), limited growth in local revenue and pressing capital needs. Although fund balances have served as a temporary solution in recent years, recurring deficits raise concerns about achieving long-term structural balance without additional local support or spending adjustments,” Bowman says.

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