New Bill Would Eliminate State-Mandated Class Maximums In TN Public Schools

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The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn] –

A new bill filed by one Tennessee legislator would remove state-regulated class size limits in K-12 schools.

The bill is sponsored by State Senator Jon Lundberg (R-Bristol-District 4). Lundberg currently serves as the chair of the Senate Education Committee.

Currently, classroom sizes are mandated by state law to be between 25-35 students, depending on the grade level.   If passed, this bill would remove state mandates and allow local districts to make their own determination on class sizes. 

According to Senator Lundberg, his proposal comes after communication with a number of teachers and administrators in rural school districts. He says that the goal of the legislation is to give that choice back to local districts, not to create excessively large classes of students.

In response to Lundberg’s bill, one Tennessee public high school teacher told The Tennessee Conservative, “Bills like these make me want to spend 5 minutes in a room with some of these legislators, telling them what I think. Actually, I’d much prefer that they come spend an hour in my classroom so they can see if they actually think this bill makes sense. #1) If they really think that ALL school districts are going to use this in moderation and only when necessary, they are crazy and 2) if they want to see increased performance in schools, piling more kids in a classroom isn’t the way to do it. I would also like to have a word with the teachers and school officials who requested that change. The ones who did it obviously only did it for financial reasons and not for educational value.”

Lundberg said, “Everyone agrees that the smaller the class, the more one on one instruction a student can receive, the better they’re going to do. We know that, and frankly, hope they’ll do that. But we wanted to give some flexibility to the local education agencies, the LEAs, to make determinations that best suit themselves.”

Critics of the bill say the current state maximum already leaves many teachers with too many students to manage effectively. They worry that there is no language in the bill to keep school systems from filling classes with 40-plus students.

In an interview with Fox 17, Lundberg said, “Yeah, I don’t think so. And if it did, again, you have my pledge that I would be back virtually instantly and file that bill to repeal this, should it pass.”

Lundberg says that his hope is that the state will provide school systems with “guidance and best practices” that they will use in making the decisions that best suit their students.

State law already includes a process for allowing schools to submit waivers to class maximums under special circumstances. Critics of this bill say that process is enough.

Senate Bill 0197 (SB0197) would also remove a restriction against split-grade level classes.

The bill’s summary states – As introduced, repeals the maximum class sizes, maximum class size averages, student-teacher ratios, and the prohibition against split-grade classes established by law; authorizes each local education agency (LEA) and public charter school to establish the maximum class sizes for schools under its control and jurisdiction; requires the state board of education, in consultation with the department of education, to develop guidance for LEAs and public charter schools in establishing maximum class sizes. – Amends TCA Title 49.

If passed, the new law would go into effect with the upcoming school year.

About the Author: Jason Vaughn, Media Coordinator for The Tennessee Conservative  ~ Jason previously worked for a legacy publishing company based in Crossville, TN in a variety of roles through his career.  Most recently, he served as Deputy Director for their flagship publication. Prior, he was a freelance journalist writing articles that appeared in the Herald Citizen, the Crossville Chronicle and The Oracle among others.  He graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a Bachelor’s in English-Journalism, with minors in Broadcast Journalism and History.  Contact Jason at news@TennesseeConservativeNews.com