WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

HB 709

Education - As introduced, requires local boards of education to notify the department of education when a board declares its local eduction agency to be a high performing school district; requires the department to maintain a list of high performing school districts on the department's website. - Amends TCA Title 49.

114th Regular Session (2025-2026) Introduced by Scott Cepicky

Withdrawn bill would require Tennessee school boards to self-declare high-performing status and have the state list these districts publicly online.

P2C, caption bill, held on desk - pending amdt.
#education
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HB 709

Legislative bill overview

HB 709 requires Tennessee local school boards to notify the state Department of Education when they designate themselves as high-performing school districts, and mandates the department maintain and publicly display a list of these districts on its website. The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated Title 49, which governs education policy.

Why is this important

Public designation of high-performing districts can influence parent school choice decisions, property values in those areas, and district recruitment of educators and resources. However, the bill was withdrawn on February 6, 2025, before advancing further, so it did not become law.

Potential points of contention

  • Self-designation concerns: The bill allows boards to self-declare as "high performing" without apparent state verification standards, raising questions about consistency and credibility of designations across districts
  • Accountability and metrics: No clear definition of what qualifies a district as "high performing" is specified, potentially allowing subjective or inconsistent criteria
  • Administrative burden: Creates a reporting requirement on local boards with unclear benefit if designations lack standardized benchmarks or state validation

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

Sign in to ask a question.