Tax Hike for Schools Get a Cool Reception at County Commission

CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF-TV) – The Hamilton county department of education has launched a major campaign to get more funding for local schools.
It joined a half dozen others in filing a lawsuit against the state Tuesday.
This morning the district got a response on its request for a 40-cent tax increase.
The reaction from commissioners was not what educators wanted to hear.

SANDY HUGHES, PRES. , HAMILTON CO.TEACHERS ASSOCIATION "So please, make every effort to search for ways that we can fund the best education we can ..because the children are the future of our county."

The Teachers Association president made an impassioned plea, saying not only are local schools under-funded now, they are being asked to add courses like keyboarding for 3rd graders. They also have un-funded mandates.

But commissioners are skeptical about the way funds are being used now.

COMMISSIONER JOE GRAHAM, DISTRICT 6 "Their fund balance has to have somewhere in the neighborhood of 10-million dollars in it. Right now, today…cash on hand the school system has 49 million dollars plus on-hand…most of which is not even designated."

And commissioner Warren Mackey says Hamilton county is the third most affluent area in the state, but not getting it’s share of state funding.

COMMISSIONER WARREN MACKEY, DISTRICT 4 "I don’t know how you can ask us to do that if our money is going elsewhere first..and then you’re asking us to get out before the school board..that’s a hard one."

Graham says he won’t support a tax increase now—maybe another year when the school board explains how its using it’s large rainy-day fund now.
About 60% of county tax dollars now go to schools.

COMMISSIONER GRAHAM "Their budget, since 2005…which you referred to..has went up over a hundred million dollars and we’ve done it with only one tax increase since 2005..that was 2007."

Graham says enrollment has not increased as fast as allocations for local education.
Superintendent Smith was not at the meeting.

The lawsuit against the state was filed yesterday in Davidson County Chancery Court by school boards in Hamilton, Bradley, McMinn, Marion, Grundy, Coffee and Polk counties.
Shelby county schools are also looking to file a similar lawsuit.