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The Tennessee Division of Training needs a $30 million enhance in summer time studying funding subsequent 12 months, although schooling officers say faculties want extra flexibility to make use of the cash all through the varsity 12 months for required tutoring moderately than simply summer time studying camps.
Training Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds requested the funding enhance on Thursday within the division’s funds listening to for the upcoming fiscal 12 months.
Tennessee summer time studying camps this 12 months enrolled practically 90,000 college students, 25% of whom have been rising fourth graders. College-based summer time studying camps are one in every of a number of “promotion pathways” rising fourth graders can use to maneuver on from third grade in the event that they don’t hit the benchmarks required by the state’s third grade studying regulation.
“We’re seeing important positive aspects in proficiency” within the summer time studying pathway, mentioned Kristy Brown, the division’s chief educational officer.
Whereas schooling officers requested the funds for “summer time programming,” the division seems poised to push for extra flexibility for a way native districts use these funds.
“For some faculties, it may very well be persevering with summer time studying,” Reynolds mentioned. “However for some, it may very well be tutoring. What many districts have talked to us about is that if there’s a possibility to create flexibility across the program.”
Tennessee departments this week are presenting their upcoming funds requests to Gov. Invoice Lee and his employees. However Reynolds didn’t but have particulars on two of the schooling division’s largest line objects: the state voucher program and general public schooling funding components.
Reynolds mentioned the division is gathering knowledge as the varsity 12 months progresses earlier than it makes funds requests for these objects.
Lee earlier this week once more acknowledged he’ll prioritize increasing the voucher program within the upcoming legislative session, however he stopped wanting committing to a selected variety of new seats.
Along with the $30 million summer time programming enhance, Reynolds requested a further $2.6 million for the division’s paid parental go away program. This system supported six weeks of paid parental go away for round 2,300 staff in school districts within the final fiscal 12 months, in accordance with knowledge offered by the division.
The request enhance would cowl projected participation in this system and deliberate wage will increase.
