3.8.22 - Budget & Finance Committee & School Board Meetings Recap

Yesterday’s School Board meeting was a long one! It was preceded by the MNPS Budget and Finance Committee meeting, where we got a first look at a draft of the proposed budget. Here is a recap: 

BUDGET & FINANCE MEETING

Dr. Battle presented four budget priorities, which were discussed in length. We will list each priority below with some takeaways for each. 

1. Employee Compensation

  • Both support staff and certificated employees will be getting step increases, as Dr. Battle put it, “to ensure fidelity to our pay scales.”  Chief Financial Officer Chris Henson also indicated that “this does not include any across the board COLA cost of living adjustment, YET.” 

  • Support staff scales will be changing in response to the current salary study, but we don’t know yet by how much (SEIU members at the public comment meeting made it clear their demand is a $6,900 increase across the board to every support employee.) 

  • The slides Dr. Battle shared had numbers that showed the cost for step increases and for a COLA increase. She emphasized that the slide was NOT an indication that we will be getting a step increase and only a 1% COLA increase, rather to show what each 1% of COLA costs.

*Some proposed strategies for recruitment and retention:

  • Paid family leave

  • Paid Veterans Day

  • Recruitment Bonus for teachers and other staff

  • Continuation of transportation incentives implemented this year

2. Continuity of Federally Funded Initiatives

  • Many of our current programs are federally-funded, and Dr. Battle indicated that the district will seek to continue these initiatives once the grants expire.

3. Academic and SEL Integration

Lots of proposed investments, but some big ones related to our campaign:

  • Expanded SIFE program

  • Increased investment in school counselors (“moving to a TRUE 250 to 1 ratio”) and social workers

  • Equity integration support

  • Investment in trauma informed schools

4. Operational Improvements and School Support (maintenance, transportation, technology, and more)

  • Also lots of proposed investments, a highlight of which is almost $4.5 million in IT investments.

  • What we are unsure about: The proposal included significant investments in adding staff at the Support Hub, including a construction project manager and a sustainability manager and additional staff in Strategic Initiatives and Investments.

  • What we are excited about: Continuing to provide no-cost meals for all and expanding student health clinics 


After the presentation of the proposed budget, Board Members had the opportunity to ask questions. Notably, Abigail Tylor, of District 9, asked Dr. Battle about the potential for a retention bonus for employees who have been worked into the ground this year (our words, not hers). Dr. Battle’s response  said she didn’t want to do a one-time bonus, she wanted it to be addressed in “funding and support that can be maintained over time,” but that other options will be considered if MNPS can’t make that happen. Tylor said she would keep an eye out for it in future budget conversations, and so will we! 

The committee will have a work session in two weeks, and they are expected to vote on the Focus and Aspirational Budget to present to the Mayor’s office in  April. 

Conclusion: Our advocacy is working, but in no part are we finished. Many of our priorities have made it into discussion or the budget proposal itself, but there’s more work to be done. We need to continue to contact our board members (do so here if you haven’t already), we need to continue wearing red and our buttons on Tuesday, and we need to continue to show that we support a budget that will #fullystaffMNPS. 

PUBLIC COMMENT MEETING

One of the most important things to come from this meeting was the breakdown of the Governor’s proposal to overhaul school funding. (Spoiler: It’s not good for MNPS students!) 

The new formula would switch from a resource-based formula (BEP) to a student-based formula (TISA), which would give a base amount allocated for each student with different weights applied for student or district characteristics. 

Dr. Battle had already mentioned in the Budget and Finance Committee that the state formula means the city of Nashville pays significantly more for its schools than other districts in TN, meaning the local taxpayer burden is 73% and the state investment is only 27%. The new formula doesn’t change this very much:

  • MNPS students could be some of the lowest in per pupil (state) funding.

  • The formula relies on the “fiscal capacity” of the district, which is not a good measure for economically disadvantaged students here in Nashville, where the cost of living is one of the highest in the state.

  • The calculation of “economically disadvantaged” is also deeply flawed.


Overall, the new formula is not one that works for MNPS. The funding bill will be heard in committee next week. Here are some ways you can take action:

Other points of note: 

  • Board Member Emily Masters, of District 3, made an amendment to the previously passed motion to go to masks strongly encouraged. Masters’ proposal, which passed, requires the Board to review CDC COVID-19 community levels and district COVID-19 data at each meeting and make adjustments as necessary. 

  • We had MANY members who spoke on behalf of educators, and many more who came out to support those speakers and our campaign. 





Metropolitan Nashville Education Association