West Carroll School Board Discusses TISA Funding for 2025-2026 Year

Courtesy Jean Odom Mirror-Exchange • March 11, 2025 • Updated July 12, 2026

From the Mar 11, 2025 e-Edition

The West Carroll School Board met on Thursday evening with all board members present for the meeting.

Preston Caldwell, Director of Schools for West Carroll Special School District, discussed the drop in TISA funding for the 2025-2026 school year and the effect that will have on the budget.

“I met with the principals this afternoon. We talked about our TISA projections for next year. TISA is about 70 to 75 percent of our funding. Looking at our projections for next year, it’s going to be tough,” Caldwell explained. “It’s going to be tough taking the TISA money that we’ve got coming. It’s actually a decrease for us, and we’ve got to take that money knowing that the salary schedule has to increase.”

TISA (Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement) is the main source of state funding for all Tennessee public schools. The funding is based on the number of students enrolled in a school system, and there is additional funding offered for special needs students and incentives for high-performing school systems.

West Carroll Special School District has seen a drop in enrollment over the last year, so TISA funding will drop by a small margin. Additionally, Caldwell is concerned that the new voucher bill will cause a further drop in enrollment numbers. While the bill does provide for schools not losing funding for the 2025-’26 school year, there are no protections offered for the following years.

Caldwell also briefly discussed the $2,000 bonus for certified teachers that accompanies the new voucher bill. The board will need to approve a resolution before June 1, in agreement to participate in the program.

The board approved an FFA field trip to Gatlinburg at the end of this month. The students have worked hard all year long for the competition. There is also a college and career fair for the students to attend while they are in attendance.

The next scheduled board meeting will be on April 7, 2025 at West Carroll High School. All meetings are open to the public.

Print Issue: 3-11-25