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But the five-member body also plans to go on record at its March 11 meeting that in no uncertain terms it still opposes the Education Freedom Act of 2025, a universal voucher bill Lee has since signed into law after it passed in a special legislative session in late January.

The law allows public money to go toward private education statewide, providing $7,075 per student for up to 20,000 students statewide in the 2025-26 school year. Such vouchers previously were allowed only in Shelby, Davidson and Hamilton counties.

TALE OF MULTIPLE DRAFTS

During a work session Tuesday evening, the city Board of Education discussed the matter and reviewed a rough draft of a resolution penned by Assistant Superintendent of Schools for Administration Andy True.

It was based in part on two suggested drafts: one by Chris McCarty, a Knoxville attorney specializing in education law, and the other from the Tennessee School Boards Association. Under the law, boards must accept the bonuses by June 1 for teachers to receive them.

Board member Phillip Marshall and Vice President Brandon Fletcher said the resolution needs to use the present tense verb instead of a past tense verb in describing the board’s opposition to the voucher legislation.

Board member Todd Golden suggested the resolution be cut extensively and simply say the board will accept the money to fund teacher bonuses but remains opposed to the voucher law.

However, member Jamie Jackson said the measure needed only minor tweaking and that the board shouldn’t be petty. The board earlier this year voted 4-0 with Golden absent to oppose the act earlier this year, but Golden said he wholeheartedly opposed the legislation then and still opposes it now.

WHY ALL THE WHEREASES?

True told the board that the first two whereases in the first draft were normal language for school board resolutions and the third whereas was mostly from the McCarty-suggested language.

True provided an updated draft copy of the one-page resolution after the meeting to the ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ. He and Golden declined to provide a copy of the original draft resolution immediately after the meeting.

“The state keeps meddling in the affairs of the rest of the school boards across the state,� Golden said during the meeting. “I want to call them idiots because that’s what they are. Did you get that quote?� he said, gesturing toward a reporter at the meeting.

After the meeting, True took the board’s suggestions and put together another draft of the resolution as Jackson, Marshall and Fletcher suggested. Golden after the meeting said that was fine with him and probably better.

The more recent version has five whereases and one therefore be it resolved, while the original apparently had only four whereases and one therefore be it resolved.

RESOLUTION TEXT

“Whereas, Section four (4) of the ‘Education Freedom Act of 2025’ requires that a local board of education for an LEA [local education agency] seeking to participate in section four (4) of the proposed act must affirm its intention to participate via a resolution in order to receive state funds to issues these bonuses; and

“Whereas, through the Kingsport Board of Education continues to express unanimous opposition to the ‘Education Freedom Act of 2025’ and through a previous resolution strongly urged the Tennessee General Assembly to reject such legislation and/or any other similar voucher or Education Savings Account legislation;

“Now, therefore, be it resolved, that the Kingsport Board of Education affirms its intention to participate in Section four (4) of the 'Education Freedom Act of 2025,' relative to bonuses for teacher.�

In addition to language concerns in the resolution from board members, board President Melissa Woods said that she hasn’t been able to get answers to questions such as how the bonuses would be handled if a teacher left or joined a school system mid-year.

The bill split in the Northeast Tennessee House member evenly, while three out of four senators from the area voted against it. School boards across the region and the Hawkins County Commission opposed the legislation via resolutions, while the mayors of the eight Northeast Tennessee counties signed a letter supporting it.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Aside from the planned March 11 vote by the Kingsport school board, the Sullivan County school board, according to Director of Schools Chuck Carter, may consider a similar resolution accepting the teacher raises in the voucher legislation when that board meets March 4 for a work session and then regular meeting at Sullivan East High School.