BRADY FLANIGANStaff Writer

“Voting to accept money is always an easy vote,” Mayor Lynn Sebourn said at the Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting on Monday night, Feb. 10. The board voted 7-0 to adjust the city’s budget, adding an unexpected $284,415 in state funding for Tullahoma City Schools. The change, outlined in Resolution No. 2019, brings the city’s budget in line with the school system’s revised numbers.

The money comes from the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) program, one of Tennessee’s newer attempts at figuring out how to distribute education dollars. TISA throws extra funding at districts that hit certain achievement benchmarks, rewarding schools that make the grade—literally, on an A-to-F scale. The formula weighs standardized test scores, student growth, and other factors to determine how much money each district gets. Higher scores get higher funding. Lower scores get lower funding.

The Board of Education had already amended its budget on Jan. 21 to reflect the increase, and the city’s approval was just a formality—making sure the numbers matched on paper. It just needed the official nod. No new local taxes, no budget cuts. Just a crisp check from the state.

The funding boost follows the release of Tennessee’s latest school letter grades. The 2023-24 report card put East Middle School, Jack T. Farrar Elementary, and Robert E. Lee Elementary at a B, while Bel-Aire Elementary landed at a C, and West Middle School, Tullahoma High School, and East Lincoln Elementary all dropped to D’s. For West Middle and Tullahoma High, this marked a downgrade from last year.

Under TISA, better test scores mean better funding, and this time, Tullahoma came out ahead—at least at the bank. The school system hasn’t said exactly where the $284,415 will go, but money tied to student achievement typically gets funneled into teacher resources, intervention programs, and instructional support.

With the adjustment in place, Tullahoma City Schools’ General Purpose Fund now totals $44,534,308. The resolution passed. Everybody nodded and moved on to the next item.