Title 49, Education

(a) (1) Subject to this part, the authority shall have power and is authorized from time to time to issue its negotiable bonds and notes in such principal amount, as, in the opinion of the authority, is necessary to provide sufficient funds for achieving its corporate purposes, i…

(a) In the event that the authority defaults in the payment of principal of or interest on any issue of notes or bonds after the notes or bonds become due, whether at maturity or upon call for redemption, and the default continues for a period of thirty (30) days, or in the event…

The state covenants with the purchasers and all subsequent holders and transferees of notes and bonds issued by the authority, in consideration of the acceptance of and payment for the notes and bonds, that the notes and bonds of the authority, issued pursuant to this part, and t…

(a) The state designates the authority as the state education agency within the meaning of § 54E(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. § 54E(c)(2)), and delegates to the agency the authority to allocate on behalf of the state the national zone academy bond limitat…

Notwithstanding anything in this chapter to the contrary, counties having a city or cities operating schools independently of the county or having special school districts operating schools independently of the county shall not be required to share proceeds of any county school c…

The authority shall have power and is authorized to issue its negotiable bonds for a school credit bond project, as such term is defined in § 49-3-1202. Bonds for school credit bond projects may be issued only by the authority.

The general assembly finds that the Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature Foundation, a 501(c)(3) corporation, serves and benefits this state and the students of its private and public colleges and universities by conducting educational programs on the legislative process a…

(a) The Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature Foundation is eligible to receive appropriations for its endowment fund from the state general fund subject to the following conditions:(1) Neither an appropriation nor the income from an appropriation may be spent for any organ…

State agencies may provide free and discounted services to the Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature Foundation to support its mission of education, leadership and public research; provided, however, that any cost associated with the operation of the chambers of the senate …

(a) In case the United States congress enacts any legislation of any character making grants of public moneys to the states for the purpose of promoting the cause of public education, the department of education is designated as the authority to accept and administer the funds co…

(a) A local board of education, by the adoption of a resolution, may refuse to accept federal funding for any education program without a penalty being assessed by any state agency or state official, unless refusal of such funding would cause a loss of federal funding for all par…

(1) As used in this part, unless the context otherwise requires:(1) “Average daily attendance” or “ADA” means the aggregate days' attendance of a given school during a given reporting period divided by the number of days school is in session during this period as provided in the …

(a) (1) The commissioner, as approved by the state board of education, shall annually formulate a table of training and experience factors and a state salary schedule to be effective for each school year, which shall be applicable to all licensed personnel in every LEA, and which…

(a) As used in this section, “educational facility” or “facility” means:(1) A facility that operates as a Category I special purpose school pursuant to state board of education rules;(2) The facility provides a minimum of thirty-two (32) hours per week of educational instructiona…

(1) Textbooks and other instructional materials purchased by LEAs and public charter schools using state school funds are subject to the following minimum amounts and conditions:(1) (A) It is the legislative intent that the board shall purchase the necessary textbooks, instructio…

The state board shall establish minimum standards for school sites, including locations, school attendance centers, the construction of buildings for school purposes, the remodeling or renovation of buildings for school purposes of a capital outlay nature and for equipment for bu…

(a) A substitute teacher substituting for a regular teacher on leave authorized for a period not exceeding thirty (30) consecutive teaching days is not required to possess a teacher's license. (b) A substitute teacher who is a retired teacher is not required to continue to renew …

(a) The state matching funds for the school lunch program, as defined in this section, shall be distributed to every participating LEA. (b) Appropriations for the school lunch program shall be used as matching requirements prescribed by Public Law 91-248 (42 U.S.C. § 1752 et seq.…

(a) [Deleted by 2022 amendment.] (b) [Deleted by 2022 amendment.] (c) (1) In order for any LEA to receive state education finance funds as set forth in part 1 of this chapter, the system shall meet the conditions and requirements set out in subdivisions (c)(2) and (3). In order t…

(a) For each LEA there shall be levied for current operation and maintenance not more than one (1) school tax for all grades included in the LEA. Each LEA shall place in one (1) separate school fund all school revenues for current school operation purposes received from the state…

(a) (1) The commissioner, in consultation with the comptroller of the treasury, shall develop, revise as necessary and prescribe a standardized system of financial accounting and reporting for all LEAs, including appropriate forms or other documentation. This system shall be desi…

(a) (1) Whenever the operation of schools in any LEA is suspended by reason of epidemic, natural disaster or other justifiable cause, if so determined by the state board upon the written petition of the board, the suspension shall not operate to deprive the LEA of state funds to …

Appropriations of state funds made for adult basic education may be used for the purpose of meeting matching requirements under the [former] Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 [repealed], the Vocational Education Act of 1963 or other pertinent federal statute or statutes as may exi…

(1) Appropriations of state funds made for educational grants-in-aid shall be expended under allotments of the commissioner of finance and administration for the following purposes:(1) Tennessee Academy of Science;(2) U.D.C. scholarships;(3) Girls' Blind Home;(4) State Aid for Yo…

(a) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, an LEA may set aside an amount not to exceed ten percent (10%) of the total amount of funds allocated for the procurement of personal property and services for the purpose of entering into contracts with small businesses and minority o…

In any fiscal year in which an LEA is unable to operate, or to continue to operate, transportation services with available funds, the LEA may request a loan from any county or municipal fund that has sufficient anticipated end of year fund balance to finance the loan during the f…

(a) There is established within the general fund of each LEA a special revenue account to be known as the dedicated education fund. (b) All appropriations from all sources intended to fund any function or expense of the LEA shall be appropriated to this account and an affirmative…

(a) In order for any local public school system to receive TISA funds, the system shall meet the conditions and requirements set out in this section. In order to enforce the conditions and requirements, the commissioner may, in the commissioner's discretion, withhold a portion or…

There is created the education trust fund of 1992. The commissioner of finance and administration is authorized and directed to deposit into this fund all revenues earmarked and allocated specifically and exclusively for educational purposes under this part, part 1 of this chapte…

(a) There is established within the education trust fund of 1992, created by this part, a special revenue account to be known as the Tennessee investment in student achievement formula (TISA) account. (b) All appropriations from the education trust fund of 1992, and such other ap…

(a) Each LEA and public charter school must pay two hundred dollars ($200) for each teacher in kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) for the purpose described in this subsection (a). This money must be used by the teachers for instructional supplies and must be given to each t…

Any city which provides funding to a special school district, the borders of which are coterminous with the borders of the city, may provide such funding through a contract with the school district that provides that one-half (½) of the funds shall be used for the operation of th…

(a) An LEA shall allocate funding in an amount equal to the per pupil state and local funds received by the LEA to a state-licensed residential mental health facility on a prorated daily basis for the student's length of stay if:(1) The residential mental health facility operates…

This part shall be known and may be cited as the “Volunteer Public Education Trust Fund Act of 1985.”

The general assembly recognizes the inherent value of education and encourages its support. Through this part, the general assembly recognizes, as did our forefathers, that knowledge, learning and virtue are essential to the preservation of our institutions of government, and the…

(a) There is established within the state treasury a special trust fund for education known as the volunteer public education trust fund that shall be administered by the state treasurer and the commissioner of education as trustees. (b) (1) The state treasurer, on behalf of the …

(1) In addition to the powers granted by this part, consistent with the purpose of the fund, the trustees have the authority to:(1) Develop a written plan to implement this part;(2) Develop investment policies for the investment of the money in the fund;(3) Expend income from the…

The corpus of the trust fund consists of funds appropriated by the state as well as any other contributions from public or private sources in accordance with § 49-3-403. Income from the fund includes the income from the fund's investment portfolio from whatever source derived, in…

The trustees are authorized to promulgate rules necessary to perform their responsibilities under this part. The rules shall be promulgated in accordance with the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5.

The general assembly may annually provide for the addition of an appropriate percentage of the state general fund surplus to be added to the trust fund.

(a) The trustees are authorized to create a nonprofit corporation in accordance with the Tennessee Nonprofit Corporation Act, compiled in title 48, chapters 51-68, and after such incorporation, to apply for tax exempt status under 26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(3). (b) The corporation has al…

This part is known and may be cited as the “K-12 Mental Health Trust Fund Act.”

(1) The K-12 mental health endowment fund is established to provide mental health supports to students in primary and secondary schools in this state. The fund must be administered and funded in accordance with the following terms and conditions:(1) The fund is an irrevocable tru…

This part is known and may be cited as the “Tennessee Support, Training, and Renewing Opportunity for National Guardsmen (STRONG) Act of 2017.”

The purpose of this part is to encourage nonprior service persons to become members of the Tennessee national guard and to encourage retention of those members already serving in the Tennessee national guard.

(1) As used in this part:(1) “Course completion” means the last day of instruction for the period or semester as determined by the student's educational institution;(2) “Educational institution” means any public university, college, community college, college of applied technolog…