A resolution requesting the Davidson County Delegation to the Tennessee General Assembly to vote to amend the Governor’s proposed budget with revisions to the BEP formula to provide a more equitable distribution of funds for the benefit of the Metropolitan public schools.

WHEREAS, Governor Bredesen has proposed an amendment to the Basic Education Plan (BEP) formula that would dramatically alter the way the state funds local public education; and

WHEREAS, the proposed revisions would replace the BEP formula with a new formula that is based on each county’s amount of assessed property and sales tax revenue as evidence of the county’s ability to pay for education; and

WHEREAS, while the proposed revisions to the BEP formula would result in additional funds for Davidson County, our county is considered “economically viable” and thus would receive a lesser portion of the increased funding than the other major urban counties; and

WHEREAS, officials with the Metro Nashville Public Schools are concerned that the removal of the Cost Differential Factor (CDF) would result in a $40 million loss to Metro schools; and

WHEREAS, Metro Nashville Public Schools it is a wealthier county than most in the state and thus, its portion of would receive less funding; and

WHEREAS, Metro Nashville Public Schools has the highest number of English Language Learner (ELL) students and the second highest at-risk population of the 95 counties in Tennessee; and

WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of the taxpayers of Nashville and Davidson County and the students of the Metro Nashville Public Schools that the proposed revisions to the BEP formula be further modified based upon Metro’s high number of ELL and at-risk students.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY:

Section 1. That the Metropolitan County Council hereby goes on record as requesting the Davidson County Delegation to the Tennessee General Assembly to vote to amend the Governor’s proposed budget with revisions to the BEP formula to provide a more equitable distribution of funds for the benefit of the Metropolitan public schools.

Section 2. The Metropolitan Clerk is directed to send a copy of this Resolution to each member of the Davidson County Delegation to the Tennessee General Assembly.

Section 3. That this Resolution shall take effect from and after its adoption, the welfare of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County requiring it.

Sponsored by: Eric Crafton, Jim Hodge, Emily Evans, Diane Neighbors, Greg Adkins, Buck Dozier