NASHVILLE, Tenn. -
Williamson County's top school officials will consider a resolution on Monday night opposing a major part of Governor Bill Haslam's education bill.
It follows mounting opposition for a plan proposed to state lawmakers that would tie some of the state's educational funding for local schools to larger classes, and ultimately fewer teachers.
"Our analysis is that we would lose 185 earned teaching positions," explained Williamson County Schools Director Dr. Mike Looney.
He continued, "[The bill is] complicated, we could purchase some of those positions back, but at the end of the day it would have a negative impact on learning in Williamson County Schools."
On Monday night, the Williamson County School Board and the Franklin Special School District will hold a rare meeting together where their members are expected to craft a resolution opposing the Haslam Administration's bill in its current form.
Williamson County is not the only Mid-State county opposing the bill.
Last week, Nashville's News 2 reported that survey from the Tennessee Organization of Schools Superintendents (TOSS) shows 80% of its members against the governor's plan in its current form.
"The administration took those complaints and agreed to solve the problem," Williamson County state representative Glen Casada told Nashville's News 2.
Governor Haslam has heard estimates that his class size plan could cost over 5,000 teachers their jobs statewide.
Representative Casada said that class size is not always an indicator of better learning, but he acknowledges a lot of Williamson County school parents believe otherwise.
"I have heard from lots of parents," said the former Republican leader in the House.
"But there is this thought that lower the class size, the better the performance, that really only applies to the first couple of years," said Casada
The governor is expected to have more to say on this issue as early as Tuesday when he visits schools in Mt. Pleasant.
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