Should Tennessee fully fund special education pre-K programs?

A committee of top Tennessee educators is urging lawmakers to include special education prekindergarten students in the state’s public school funding formula, arguing they're being forced into the role through "unfunded mandates." Bob Nardos, executive director of the Libertas School in Memphis, testified at a TISA Review Committee meeting that federal and state laws require districts to serve students with disabilities from 3 years old, but lawmakers haven't been proportionally funding those students.

The committee, which is tasked with recommending revisions to the state’s K-12 funding formula, recently surveyed its members and found special education pre-K funding to be a top priority. Applying the committee's recommendations would require legislative action, as the current formula only funds K-12 students. If fully funded, these programs could cost the state over $159 million annually.

While a federal and state grant program offers some support, district leaders say the grant funding is unstable and insufficient to cover the costs of their special education pre-K classrooms. For example, Lakeland School System in Shelby County currently supports 59 students, including 29 with special education needs and 30 general education students used as peer models.

Running these classrooms costs over $621,000, with only $15,058 in federal funding and $124,660 from the Tennessee special education preschool grant covering about 22% of the total costs. The remaining $481,282 must come from TISA funding, which is intended for K-12 students. Committee member Eddie Pruett from Gibson County Special School District emphasized the need for additional funding to meet federal and state requirements for inclusive education.